


Against All Odds

by lollipopkitten93



Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Angst, Birthday Love, Bondage, Cute Skeleboys, Dom/sub Undertones, Dominance, Dominant Sans, Eventual Smut, F/F, F/M, Flowey will be Flowey, Fluff, Fluff and Smut, G is So A Tease, G is a kinky fuck, G likes to dom too, Had Ideas, I'M ADDICTED, Ink is a gentle baby, Ink's soul issue, Mild non-con, More tags to be added, Multi, POV First Person, Polyamory, Post-Undertale Pacifist Route, Reader Has Description, Reader Is Not Frisk, Reader is OC, Reverse Harem, Slow Burn, Sorry Not Sorry, Such a slow burn, Surface timeline, all consensual, and lover, final skeleboy scene, i'm actually sad at that, puns, reader is female, sad flowey, sexual tension gets worse, why am i like this
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-02-28
Updated: 2019-02-12
Packaged: 2019-03-25 00:21:40
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Major Character Death
Chapters: 37
Words: 150,031
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13822545
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lollipopkitten93/pseuds/lollipopkitten93
Summary: It's been 10 years since the barrier broke.I'm in a family full of monster-hating humans. But my soulmates are skeletons. And these said skeletons come from different lines of life. I know family is important, but hating someone, anyone, because of who they are to me is just plain...well, stupid. So if this means that I don't run my family's "business" then so be it. I'd rather love my silly skeletons than live in a family that hurts and ridicules others because of whom they are.But I don't think they'll understand as much as I'm hoping.





	1. Explosion

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first fanfiction, and I'm better at first person stories than I am second or third. Honestly, I tried writing this in second, but I kept messing it up, so I gave up. I do not own any character except for the OC, Jewel.
> 
> All credit for the characters in the story go to their creators.
> 
> Undertale - Toby Fox  
> Underfell - ManiaKnight
> 
> I'm not quite sure about the others. If you do know, lemme know whom they belong to so I can give proper credit, please! I tried looking it up, but the wikis weren't giving me much other than who the characters were. T_T 
> 
> Again, this is my first fanfiction. I'm trying here.

It's been ten years since the fall of the barrier. Everything that had once been myth and legends, nothing more than mere bedtime stories, became a reality. Monsters had come from the base of Mount Ebott, all shapes, sizes and colors. They had come, and we had met them with nothing but brute force. I didn't know what happened that day, but what I do know is that the monsters were probably just the opposite of what I had heard all these years.

I sat in a park now, watching kids – both monster and human alike – playing on the swing sets and playground. The jungle gym was the only thing unable to be used, thanks to a mischievous flower who loved to cause trouble. Monster and human parents were still on a touch and go play, choosing be civil for the most part rather than try and get to know each other, much like their kids.

I found it amazing how much monster influence had really changed the way everyone lived. Between a goat monster starting a school, to a kid my age becoming their Ambassador, it was something entirely different. It was even the small businesses, like Grillby's where a lot of blue collar workers went now after work to catch a buzz and talk to their monster coworkers. Muffett's Sweets, where a lot of kids went after school to give the greedy spider her money.

Everything had finally settled, for the most part anyway. There were still anti monster groups and people. But they mostly just did stupid rallies to protest where monsters can and cannot go. It was a tad bit ridiculous. Monsters have branched out from Mount Ebott, some having decided to go wander the world, see what they've been missing out on. Some places welcomed them with open arms, some not so much.

Some even stayed at home, in the Underground. When asked, they said it wasn't as bad as before, since now they had the way out so they could come get supplies and things without having to salvage for anything from their dump in Waterfall. It made me wonder, but not too much, what life would be like down there.

And I had decided, for the umpteenth time, it wouldn't be worth it. I couldn't imagine being locked away for centuries, trying to find a way out. Wanting something so bad, but I could only grab little things here and there of how life really worked in a place I once knew.

My parents were the worst when it came to the anti monster movement. I had descended from the one of the Sages that had locked them away, and they were the leaders of the movement. I, however, wanted nothing to do with it, watching the monsters do nothing but try to live the life they'd always dreamed of. But they kept trying to pressure me and polish me into something I didn't want to be. I just wanted to write my book reviews and get paid money for that. Which I did; I made some good money off of it.

With neither one really working, and focusing all their energy on the AMM, it was becoming difficult to keep things in check at home. The life I once had, filled with laughter and happiness, became something out of a nightmare. And it was something that filled me with dread whenever I left home. At first, they even tried to keep me at home all the time, never letting me out of their sight.

But now, they let me go only because I was twenty. They couldn't keep me locked up forever.

Not yet, anyway.

I take another look around and smile when I watched as two parents, one monster and one human, jogged past me. They each gave me a smile and a wave and I gave one in turn. When they passed, a flash of red caught my eye. I looked over just in time to see a tall, lanky skeleton waving me down, a fish monster beside him.

"HELLO, HUMAN."

"Hey, PUNK!"

I stood up from my seat, setting my newest read down before Papyrus, the lanky human hunter picked me up in a bear hug. I wheezed out, patting his back furiously as Undyne the blue fish monster laughed boisterously. He unceremoniously dropped me back to my feet, sending small jolts up my legs. I stumbled for a bit while Undyne propped her hip out, placing a clawed hand on it.

“What are you doing out here? Shouldn't you be at home, doing your bookworm bullshit?” she asked, eyeing the places around me.

I shrugged, keeping my eyes on the ground. “I wanted to get out for a little bit today. I haven't finished reading the book yet,” I mumbled, motioning to the book on the bench.

“ARE YOU FIGHTING WITH YOUR HUMAN CREATORS, JEWEL?” Papyrus asked.

“Yeah, you could say that.” I smiled. “That's okay though. What are you guys up to?”

“WE WERE ON OUR WAY TO VISIT MY OLDER BROTHER,” Papyrus said enthusiastically. “HE STILL LIKES TO BE A LAZYBONES IN THE UNDERGROUND.” After a thought, his eye lights seemed to brighten. “SAY, WHY DON'T YOU COME WITH US.”

“I uh...”

“You've never been down there before, have you, loser?” Undyne asked, showing her fangs as she grinned. At my head shake, her grin managed to widen. “FUHUHUHU. THEN WHAT ARE WE WAITING FOR, DORKS?”

After deliberating it for a moment, Papyrus decided to pick me up, curling me up in his arms like he would a small child. Undyne took my book from the bench and carried it herself, summoning a spear to twirl around as we walked. Papyrus was excitedly talking about his brother as we walked.

It made me wonder why I never met Sans before. I'd met Frisk once or twice, the quiet girl usually hiding behind her monster friends. Undyne and Alphys had told me to just let it slide; ever since they came back to the Surface, Frisk has received nothing but negative attention from the majority of the population. At least, until it was announced that she'd be the Ambassador. So she was a little wary of people.

I would have been, too, to be honest. I still am. Because of my parents, I have a lot of enemies in the monster community, and not a lot of people like me in my own race. I didn't have an issue with monsters, obviously. But my parents were making it difficult for everyone else to see, too.

There was a worn path in the woods by the town where the monsters and humans came through daily. Flowers were neatly planted along the pathway, thanks to Asgore, the monster's King. According to Papyrus, the King loved gardening. Just had to be careful not to eat the flowers. I didn't question it; their way of life was still new to me.

I had met Papyrus and Undyne by accident when they had been training in the park one night. I'd left home in a huff after another fight with my parents. I'd sat on the same bench with my legs drawn up to my chest when a blue glowing spear planted itself right beside my head. I had panicked and screamed, all the while thinking that I wish it'd actually hit me.

When they found me, it was like I clicked with them. I sat there until the morning hours, talking and sharing stories with the monsters. I'd been wary at first, having heard some things about some monsters. But the only time Undyne had pulled out a spear was just to show me how some of her magic worked.

I had heard of Sans. But I never got the chance to meet him. I guess he kept himself in the Underground more often than not, staying between home and their old lab in Hotland. I remember when they told me the names of the places they lived, I had only stared before cackling. Papyrus meekly admitted that while their King was mighty and humble, he was terrible at naming things.

I curled my hand into Papyrus's scarf, jostling every now and then with their his movements. I watched the flowers sway in the slight breeze of summer, seeming to dance to their own tune. It made me wonder why such a beautiful flower was so deadly. It was the same type of flower that Flowey was. No one talked of the trouble making flower much. And when brought to Asgore and Toriel's attention, they got really quiet and changed the subject almost immediately. I didn't know why; again, I barely knew them. Why would I ask such personal questions?

We reached the mouth of the cave that would lead back Underground. They paused for a moment before Papyrus moved me around so I was hanging off of his back. He tucked his arms underneath my legs, beginning to march through the mouth. It was dark except for the torches that lit the way. They talked idly while I gazed around me.

The places I saw were breathtaking. The throne room was covered in the same yellow flowers that lined the worn path. The Judgment Hall sounded hollow, almost like it was lonely while we walked through it, their footsteps echoing in the somehow brightly lit halls. Hotland had so many paths, I would have gotten lost on my own. Waterfall was beautiful in itself, the echo flowers whispering their unnamed secrets and the glittering crystals in the ceiling. Then there was Snowdin.

Snowdin was freezing. We passed by trees that looked like evergreens. I was still trying to figure out how those grew down here. Snow covered the cavern's floor, and it was snowing even still. A light drizzle fell from somewhere above. I tried to bury myself deeper into Papyrus, momentarily forgetting he was made of nothing but magic and bones. I watched my breath fog up in front of me as we approached a house that looked kind of like a log cabin.

I slid down the skeleton's back, subconsciously sidestepping the colorful orbs of light on the untouched snow. It was a pretty house, with the Christmas lights still dangling from the second floor. Undyne watched me for a moment before whispering to Papyrus, who nodded and went inside. When I went to follow, Undyne stopped me with a hand on my arm.

I looked up at her. Her one eye studied my face. “I'm warning you now, punk, watch your step with Sans. He's very protective over his brother. Pap's may be bigger than Sans, but Sans has more magic, and is still the older brother. Ever since what happened down here all those years ago...” She paused. “Ever since that, he's been wary of humans. Kind of why he stays down here instead of Up with everyone else.”

I nod. “I understand.” I looked back at the ajar door. “You know I'd never hurt him, right?”

She chuckled. “It's not me you need to worry about, loser. It's Sans. Let's go in. You're fucking frozen.”

As we entered, I muttered, “I'm human. Duh.”

It was...a lot homier than I expected it to be. I didn't know what to expect. Maybe a lot of rubbish and stuff, with all the stories I'd heard and how long they'd been Underground. But it was neat and tidy, save for one sock with a bunch of post-it notes pasted all over it. There was a large green couch pushed up to one wall, facing an older flat-screen TV. There was a single open doorway leading to a neatly kept kitchen and stairs on the other side on the opposite wall. I stared at them for a moment before turning to follow Undyne into the kitchen, where her and Papyrus were already starting their shouting match.

“who are you?”

I froze, feeling a chill crawl up my back. When I looked back over, there was a short skeleton there, leaning against the wall. He looked relaxed, but I knew he was anything but. His hands were tucked into a huge blue hoodie, clenched. He wore a plain white tee shirt underneath, matched with a pair of slightly loose socks. On his feet, he wore a pair of pink fuzzy slippers. I stared him down as hard as he did me.

“I'm Jewel,” I answered, keeping my eyes on his face.

“i'm sans. sans the skeleton,” he said in turn. “tibia honest, i thought you were frisk.”

I cracked a smile when Papyrus's skull popped out from around the corner. “SANS. DO NOT INFLUENCE MY HUMAN FRIEND.”

I slowly turned to face Papyrus, using every ounce of willpower I could muster to keep a straight face. Looking him in his eye sockets, I said, “I didn't know your brother was so...humerus.”

There was a three second pause before Papyrus screamed, “NOT YOU, TOO.”

I lost my composure the same time that Sans did; we both doubled over laughing, tears springing to my eyes as I collapsed to my knees. Undyne was laughing as well, watching as Papyrus stomped and rampaged around the house. Which only made Undyne snort while she laughed, causing another bout of laughter.

While trying to right myself, a slight tremor shook the ground, causing me to sway slightly. Undyne stopped laughing at once. She stood up straight and looked around, her brow furrowed. While Sans did the same, no one paused Papyrus's loud musings. I wiped my face of the tears as I went to stand upright.

This time, the tremor wasn't small. I screamed as the earth shook beneath my feet again, sending me toppling to the ground. I hit the floor hard, hitting my head against the hardwood. Undyne called my name, but was ducked under a table in the kitchen. Papyrus was under the coffee table I hadn't noticed the first time around. I shrunk into a ball and covered my head, whimpering as pieces of wood fell around me. When I opened my eye, I watched as blue magic warbled around me, creating a low hum.

I looked around, watching Sans from the corner of the room, ducked into a corner. His right eye was lit up by a bright blue glow and his hand was held out, surrounded by the same blue glow as his eye. He was holding a shield around me where I'd fallen, watching as pieces of his house came down to where it should have pierced my head.

It only took a second or two, but it felt like years. Everyone stayed where they were, Sans's magic slowly fading away. I uncurled myself, sitting up on my side on the floor as Papyrus and Undyne slowly made their way out from underneath their covers. Papyrus immediately came to my side, little beads of orange sweat popping out on his forehead.

“HUMAN, ARE YOU OKAY? OH, STARS, JEWEL, YOU HAVE A CUT ON YOUR ARM,” he fretted, lifting up my arm.

I looked down at it, shocked at how big it really was. It was a long gash, but didn't seem to deep. I could only stare at it as I watched him chew his phalanges in worry. I gave him a gentle smile and put a hand on his mitten.

“I'm okay, Paps,” I whispered. “See, nothing wrong.” I lifted my arm up and down a few times for him to see. “It's only a little wound. It'll heal.”

Undyne let out a choked gasp and we looked over at her. Her usually deep blue skin went to a sickly cyan. Before anyone could ask, she was already racing for the door.

“Alphys –”

She was gone without another word. Papyrus stood, but looked torn between following her and keeping near me. Sans strolled over to us, helping me up. I smiled at him next as he turned to face his little brother.

“go check on everyone, papy,” he said, gripping my hand. “'m gonna take jewel here to the lab with me. you make sure everyone left here 's okay? can ya do that for me?”

“O-OF COURSE. I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS, WILL MAKE SURE EVERYONE IS OKAY,” he declared, though somewhat shaky. He looked down at me. “WILL YOU BE OKAY IN SANS'S CARE, JEWEL?”

I gave him a thumbs up, still kind of shaken up from the tremor. He nodded and ran out the door as fast as his long legs would carry him. After a moment, Sans looked over at me, his eye lights small and dim in his eye sockets. I shrank back away from him, my skin crawling.

His eye lights returned to normal. He gave me an apologetic looking smile. “sorry. real picky bout who my bro hangs around.”

“Undyne warned me.”

“we're going to the lab,” he reiterated. “i'm gonna need ya to hold on, bucko.”

I scowled. “Why?”

“we're takin' a shortcut.”

He held out his hand and I stared at it for a minute. If Papyrus didn't trust me in his care, he wouldn't have left me with his brother. And I trust Papyrus more than I trust any human I've ever known. So with that, I shrugged and grabbed the shorter skeleton's hand.

“hang on, and don't let go.”

It felt funny. It felt weightless, like I was floating in space and could just stand there like that. My organs felt like they were being rearranged, though. My stomach was up by my throat and my intestines felt like they were wrapping around my gal bladder. It was a floaty feeling they would describe in the movies, and such. But it happened so fast, you could blink and it would be done.

When we dropped, all my organs dropped with it. I was left lying on my knees on the tile, trying to gasp in air. Sans was by my side in a second, but I waved him off, pointing at the limp form of Alphys on the floor. Undyne was nowhere in sight.

“A – Alph –”  
He nodded and walked backward for a minute before turning and running for the dinosaur monster. I dropped my hand, gasping for air. My vision was blurred and doubled. I couldn't see straight for the life of me. I could just make out the lab surrounding me.

There was smoke everywhere. It ran toward the ceiling and wires hung loosely, sparks of electricity zapping from the exposed coppers. Bits of wall hung off of rusted nails and the tile floor surrounding a huge machine were burnt and blackened. There was an odd smell to the air I couldn't quite place my finger on, but it stunk up the entire lab.

I shut my eyes tightly, still trying to gasp for air. Anytime I brought oxygen into my lungs, it stung with the tint of the smoke following with it. I rubbed my eyes furiously, trying to clear them, but nothing was working. I gazed around, squinting. I wasn't able to make out Alphys and Sans anymore. I couldn't see either of them, and it was so quiet.

Until the hum.

It was like when Sans used his magic. There was an odd hum in the air, and there was a charge of some sort that made me feel like I was suffocating worse than I already was. I raised a hand to my throat, wrapping my hand around it gently as I tried to focus on the area around me. A round red orb appeared in the corner of my vision. I whipped my head around so fast, I began to sway on my knees.

I kept a hand to my forehead as the humming grew. The orb then turned into four more bright red orbs, floating just above the one orb that seemed to be completely still. I felt like time stopped for me as yet another orb appeared, the humming growing to an unbearable pitch. I let out a low whine, squeezing one eye shut so I could keep my focus on the five floating orbs. Something red raised up from the side of the first red orb in the shape of...a hand?

The fifth orb began to grow, a sound echoing off the walls of the lab. Then, as though in slow motion, I watched as a red beam shot from the fifth red orb.

Heading straight for me.

“jewel!”

“Jewel, move!”

I was abruptly yanked upwards and lodged right as the laser shot where I had been a mere second ago. I stared at the spot in horror, nausea and my breakfast rising to the back of my throat like a crude snake. I wrapped my arms around myself as I stayed on the ground, barely registering Undyne sitting by my side, both of her hands on my arms. She shook me a little.

“Jewel, answer me!” she shouted.

“I –” I paused to wheeze in a breath. “I'm...I'm okay. Still shaken up from the...the shortcut...” I looked around, panic rising to join the nausea. “Alphys...”

“She's okay,” Undyne breathed out, her body slouching. She hit a fist to her chest. “My soul would know. She's just knocked out.”

I nodded, my own body sagging in relief. I looked around, still unable to find Sans or Alphys. My vision was getting better, no longer double. It was still blurry, and I had to squint to make out anything through the clearing smoke. Why didn't the build windows or some kind of vent system in this place anyway?

Undyne's hands tightened on my arms. I let out a whine, trying to tug my arms out of her claws. If she pressed any harder, the skin would pierce...

There was another hum coming from where she was looking. I felt my throat close up and looked over, reaching one of my hands up to cling onto Undyne's arm. Her scales were sharp, I noticed, when she was mad and in a real battle situation. The seemed to pierce right through my skin and I watched as a small sliver of blood began to ooze out of the palm of my hand.

“Undyne...he...”

“It's not him,” she snarled, gathering me closer to her and standing.

But it definitely looked like him. His eyes weren't as wide as our Papyrus, but the left one was empty of light while the other one was lit up with an orange glow, aiming right at us. His teeth were locked together, a cigarette clung there while smoke drifted upward. He had on a large orange hoodie with a single pocket in the front and a pair of cargo shorts. He wore a pair of shockingly white sneakers, his socks invisible hiding behind the tongue of the shoe.

He looked like Papyrus...but...

“who're ya?” he snarled from around his cigarette.

He definitely didn't sound like him.

We both stood there, watching this new Papyrus with wide eyes. He lifted one of his hands from his pockets, an orange glow taking form around his hand. Within a blink, there was a dragon dog hybrid head thing floating in the space beside him, its eye lights the same color as his own single glowing orb. He raised his hand slightly and its jowls opened up, an orb of light forming in its center.

“i asked...who. the. fuck're ya?” he snarled, enunciating each word.

Still, neither of us answered. I could only stare, fear gripping me at my very core as I listened to the hum begin to grow louder with each passing moment. I brought my not bleeding hand to my ear, squeezing my eyes shut as I tried to think of anything that would block out the noise.

“Stop the fucking humming!” I shouted. “For fuck's sake!”

While he was distracted, Undyne shoved me away from her, summoning one of her spears and tossing it at the lookalike Papyrus.


	2. Explanations

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Learning a little about why they're all here.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to those that left comments and kudos! Hopefully, this lives up to expectations.
> 
> I'll probably update once a week, give or take how I feel. Winter is usually really bad time for me since I get sick really easy. Thank god it's almost all over. I'm only giving chapter two because I feel nice, and I'm taking a break for the night from the third chapter.
> 
> Enjoy. <3 :*

I watched in fascination as the lookalike zapped out then appeared somewhere else across the way, the spear landing in the center of the dragon-dog hybrid that was still there. It exploded in a puff of orange smoke, the spear going with it. I watched as he moved silently, jumping and leaping down from broken bits of the lab back to the floor in front of Undyne.

“ya know alp –” He stopped mid sentence, his eyes going wide as he took in the sight of Undyne. His eye lights, having come back from being startled, began to shrink and dim again. They looked from me to Undyne and back again, staying on my face. Something inside of me stirred, but I couldn't tell what it was. I held the heel of my hand to my sternum, pressing down on it firmly.

“undyne, head's up!”

The sound of Sans's voice sent a rush of something through my body. I slouched against the machine I'd seen earlier, watching as Sans came through the smoke running, his eye lit up with his light blue magic. Undyne's fangs came around in a grin. She summoned a spear and raised it above her head in both hands, bending down low enough to the ground.

Sans took a leap, both of his slippered feet on the spear. In that split second, I watched as his hands lit up where they were tucked away in his hoodie pocket, a couple of those dog dragon heads appearing near him. He took one hand out as he jumped off the spear, Undyne pushing up with him, using that hand to blast magic at the Papyrus lookalike.

The hum sounded again, and it was louder than it had been before. I used both of my hands this time to press against my ears, shutting one eye again so I could still see what was going on. I grit my teeth as I watched bones appear from nowhere, surrounded by orange as they appeared from thin air. I watched as they aimed themselves as Sans and one by one, in quick succession, went right for him. He dodged them with ease, disappearing and reappearing at random spots.

I reached out a hand, opening my mouth to tell them to stop...

**“e n o u g h.”**

The air in the lab was thick, tension high enough to cut with a knife. Both skeletons stopped, turning to sound of the voice. Undyne had fallen back and went to Alphys, who was leaning on a part of the wall that hadn't been busted down. She was staring at the source of the voice with a wide eyed expression and something akin to...confusion. Alphys was too busy trying to stay upright to look, the dinosaur monster looking worn out. She had bruises forming on her skin and cuts still bleeding from her head and arms. Her lab coat was torn, hanging off of one shoulder.

When she caught me looking, she smiled, giving me a small thumbs up. She was okay.

I looked over at the source of the voice. He was...a mixture, I'd want to say, of Sans and Papyrus. Though he was tall like him, but one of his eye sockets held a yellow orb within it, his hand encased in the same yellow magic. There were three figures floating in yellow beside him, each either looking shocked or pissed off.

The newcomer was dressed in a cream colored turtleneck with a cropped black jacket. He wore low slung black jeans that hung off his hip bones with a belt neatly done. They were loosely tucked into what I could only describe as biker boots, stopping mid shin. What looked like suspenders were hanging at his hips as well, and he had one hip popped out as he surveyed the area around him. What threw me off about him were the two cracks in his face. There was one that started at the top of his skull on the left and ended at the top of his left eye. The second one started just below his right eye and ended right above his mouth. He turned to me before looking at the fish and dinosaur monsters.

“i think it's best we have this discussion at home,” he said simply, eyeing Undyne and Alphys. Then he looked at me and winked with his empty eye socket. “what do you think, angel?”

I was flabbergasted, my mouth moving up and down like a fish trying to take in air. I wasn't sure if he was just trying to be nice or if this unknown skeleton was trying to...flirt with me. I could only nod after being unable to properly form words. He smiled, his mouth not as wide as Sans' was. With that, he nodded back and looked at Sans and the lookalike.

“coming?”

**

I wasn't quite sure what to expect. To be honest, I don't think any of us knew what to expect. But here I am, sitting in the living room back in Snowdin at the skeleton's house. Papyrus had returned only to scream at the sight of all the lookalikes. A little version of Sans, one who dressed like Papyrus but looked like Sans, had started screaming after that as well. It took a few moments, but both skeletons were now curled up by their respective brothers and watching everyone with watchful eyes.

Wouldn't have it any other way from the great Papyrus.

I took another look around at the skeletons. There were the two tall ones, Orange still just as tall, but he liked to slouch. Then there was the one like Sans, but dressed like Papyrus. He wore the same kind of battle ready armor, but instead of a scarf, he had a bandanna tied around his neck. And there were gloves instead of mittens and cowboy boots in place of the snow boots.

The next one was really...colorful. He had a cream tee shirt on paired with a pair of brown shorts. I caught the ends of a black and teal bodysuit underneath all of it, clinging to his bones. There was a blue hoodie tied around his waist. His neck was covered by a scarf that started out brown and ended up fading to the same cream as his shirt. He had a black ink stain on his left cheek and his fingerless gloves were a deep brown, like leather. He had a giant paintbrush attached to his back and his eyes...changed. One was a gold star and a teal oval right now. But before they had been a red question mark and a green exclamation point. He actually seemed rather befuddled.

The last one was terrifying. There was no way to lessen that blow. He had on a black hoodie with white fur that surrounded the hood. Underneath that he wore a red turtleneck sweater that hid what I'm pretty sure is a collar. He had on basketball shorts as well, with a yellow stripe going down each side of the legs. He had on red and black sneakers, haphazardly tied. They looked like they'd just been thrown on. But what got me the most about him is the teeth. They were squared like the other Sans'. They were pointed and sharp, with a single gold fang on the right side of his mouth.

He caught me looking and sent me a wide grin, almost feral. “like what ya see, sweetheart?”

I cringed back, glaring at him. “I'll show you sweetheart.”

He actually _purred_. “lookin' forward ta it.”

“enough,” Yellow said. He glared at the gold tooth. “especially from you, red.”

“Red” snapped his teeth at Yellow. “leave it ta you ta start assignin' names,” he snarled.

“What's going on?” I demanded. “I have two very large Papyrus's and four Sans in the room. Can you please explain to me what's going on rather than fighting?”

“it's not that easy to explain...” Sans said, rubbing the back of his skull. I was surprised when I didn't hear any scraping noise from the bones rubbing together. “ya see, if they're who i think they are, then they also know a bunch of science.”

“ya got it,” the colorful one said cheerfully.

“to put it simply,” Sans continued, “your...your soul...guh, i'm not sure how to word this...”

“i'll do it then,” Yellow said, smiling. When he looked at me, his smile seemed to rise a few degrees, turning into a smirk. “ya see, you're our soulmate.”

“I'm...I'm sorry, what?” I asked, blinking at him. “I'm your _what_?”

“the machine that erupted...” Sans started. He shifted uncomfortably. “it was supposed to help me check up on...other timelines, other aus. other me's and other...him's.” He waved a hand at Papyrus. “when ya came to visit, i had just gotten home and went to go nap. we hadn't gotten a lot of the specs right yet, and i was gonna fix 'em up as soon as i got back...but then...it...”

“your soul called to the rest of us,” Orange said. “somehow, someway, it dragged us all to this au. i'm still not sure how it managed that...”

Everyone was silent for a moment before all eyes shifted to me. I was staring down at my hands, but I could feel all their eyes on me. I felt my skin crawl for a moment before an off white colored hand took mine, causing me to jump for a split second. My eyes went to Sans, who was giving me a strained smile. It looked weird on his face, with his grin always being there.

I gave him a small smile and squeezed his phalanges between my own fingers. He looked shocked, his nonexistent eyebrows shooting up as he regarded me. There was a small throb in my chest again and I pressed the heel of my palm against my sternum.

“that's where your soul is,” the colorful one spoke up, his voice kind of quiet. “i'm gonna take a guess and say that it's hurting.”

I nodded. “Little bit, I guess...”

“that's because i attacked ya,” Orange said, sounding stressed now. “but i didn't...we didn't...”

“It's okay,” I whispered. I stood up. “I should probably go. I have to...I have to do something. At home...”

“why not stay?” Yellow asked. “ya just met your soulmates. stay a while.”

“I...I can't,” I blurted, running out the door.  
I went back the way Undyne and Papyrus took only an hour or two prior. I ran through Snowdin and Waterfall, pausing only for a brief second to admire the crystals in the ceiling once more. When I made it to Hotland, I looked around me for a moment before heading through the lab, avoiding the destroyed parts where I knew Alphys and Undyne were probably cleaning up and dealing with her injuries.

When I made through the throne room and to the mouth of the cave, I looked back finally. None of them had followed me and some part of me was kind of glad. But the other part of me felt my heart wrench in agony at the fact they weren't near me. I shook it off and turned back, running down the pathway to home.

My parents were going to have a field day with this. I didn't think I face them, let alone tell them of the days events. If they found out I had soulmates that were monsters, they'd never let me see the light of day again.

This was a problem.

**

Sans didn't know what to try and process first. The fact there are three Papyrus's and four hims, or that he'd found his soulmate. All within the span of a couple hours. Not to mention that the machine that had taken him almost a decade to build had now exploded into a thousand recycled pieces and Alphys had been caught in the crossfire. Undyne was going to have his coccyx by the end of the night at this rate.

Papyrus had finally stirred and gone into the kitchen for some spaghetti therapy. With the sounds of pounding pots and pans in the kitchen, the tall one that looked like a skeletal “bad boy” took a seat beside him, resting his shin on his knee and leaning back, watching the skeletons talk among themselves. Sans eyed him uncertainly.

“what does this mean?” he asked finally, slouching in on himself, hands digging into his pockets. “i gotta share her with ya?”

He nodded. “call me g,” he said absently. “and yeah, basically. ya gotta share her with all of us. except the small you, the one that resembles paps.”

The one in question whipped his head around and stared at G with big eyes. There were literal stars in his eyes, bright blue eye lights that reminded him of Papyrus when they'd been younger. “WHY NOT ME? I AM THE MAGNIFICENT SANS. THAT MERE HUMAN SHOULD BE MY MATE, TOO!”

G pointed at Orange, who had decided to go by Stretch. It had made everyone but Papyrus and “the magnificent” Sans cackle. “your brother is more like him than you are,” G stated simply. He pointed at him then at the kitchen, indicating Papyrus. “you're more like his brother, the great papyrus. in your au, these two switched personalities.”

“that's so messed,” the gold toothed one muttered.

Sans studied him for a moment. The other him now sat on the floor, his hands still in his pockets as he seemed to curl in on himself. There was a haunted look on his face that spoke volumes. He could only imagine how he could have lived through the same route time and time again. Sans still had nightmares from his own genocidal route here in this timeline. It only ever happened twice, but it was still enough to make Frisk promise to never reset again.

He couldn't go through it a third time.

G rubbed his chin, eyeing the one in the corner with a knowing look. “yer timeline was a bit hellacious, i'm gonna say.” He shook his head. “you're definitely going to be red.”

The other one looked up from his spot on the floor and stared at the tall skeleton with a blank look. “you're kidding, right?”

G only shrugged.

Papyrus came out from the kitchen and cleared his throat...or what should have been his throat. “I HAVE FINISHED MY SPAGHETTI. IF YOU'LL PLEASE COME IN HERE AND GET SOME, I WOULD BE GLAD TO SERVE.” Then he disappeared again.

The Papyrus Sans mixture ran to the kitchen, excited. Sans watched him and said, “he'll be blueberry.”

Stretch appeared beside him, nodding. “i can roll with that.”

Blueberry paused in his running at the door of the kitchen, slowly turning to face his brother. He stood there like that for two seconds before he said, “DON'T YOU START, PAPY.”

“it's stretch here, blue,” Stretch said, rubbing a hand over his brother's skull before disappearing into the kitchen.

While they began to bicker much like Sans and Papyrus themselves did, Sans paused by the door. He watched it with a hopeful expression, but nothing happened. Jewel didn't come through the door with a smile and laughing, joking about how she was kidding. She really did go. She really left the Underground. He absently rubbed his sternum, moving away from the door.

Ink, the colorful one of the bunch, appeared beside him, his eyes now a single purple flower and a gray triangle. He placed a hand on Sans' shoulder. “we feel it, too, dude.”

He took a good look and watched as everyone connected to Jewel had stopped and stared at him while he stared at the door. While he thought he should be embarrassed, somehow, he found it normal. It helped give him a bit of a boost and he went to the kitchen, where Papyrus had begun arguing with Blueberry about what was better; tacos or spaghetti.

He took a seat at the table in his usual spot, watching Stretch pause then grin. It was unspoken, but he understood. They were all more alike than any of them cared to talk about. He leaned against the back of the chair.

“so, paps,” he began, “what's the gold selling like on the Surface?”

“WHY DO YOU ASK, BROTHER?” Papyrus asked suspiciously. “PLEASE TELL ME YOU'RE NOT SETTING ME UP FOR ANOTHER HORRIBLE PUN.”

“I SECOND THAT,” Blueberry said around a mouthful of spaghetti.

“no, not that,” he said, waving his hand. “we're gonna need a bigger house.”

**

I had avoided Papyrus and Undyne like the plague. I admit it. I had stayed home mostly, dealing with my parents and their “monsters are all evil” bullshit while I hid in my room. I had barely left my room, laying in the dark and staring at my ceiling for four days while mulling over what I was going to do about this whole soulmate situation.

Papyrus and Undyne knew better than to come to my house. They tried that once and were run off the property by my father. With a metal bat. I didn't know what he planned to do with that, but I did know that Undyne was about to throw a spear back at him. Luckily, they just ran off before anything could happen. Undyne still likes to ask me what kind of damage my dad expected to impact with that bat, but I could never give her a straight answer.

I knew monsters were made of magic. There were many different types of it. There were ones like Sans, who had a type of magic they could summon within their soul. Or like Undyne, who could manifest weapons with their souls. Then there were elementals, like Grillby who was made of fire, and could use fire magic. There were many types of monsters, I knew, and special food for them as well. Like candy for them to get a quick fix of some sort. I knew it wasn't anything bad.

But because they're made of magic, they don't bleed like regular humans do. When they die, they turn to dust. Papyrus once told me that they scatter the ashes across something the monster loved, thinking they would come back into the thing they loved the most. Which is why Flowey existed. I didn't ask for him to continue on the life of the flower. He actually kinda disturbed me.

Have you ever seen a flower smile and wink at you? No? You don't want to.

Don't get me started on the creepy, maniacal laugh.

I sat up in bed and brought my knees to my chest, wrapping my arms around them. I stared at the poster on my wall of some band from back in the 00s. But I wasn't really seeing it. All I could see were the skeletons I'd run away from four days ago. Sans had looked crestfallen, like I had taken a piece of him and ran off.

I guess, in retrospect, I did that. I basically got told I found the people I'd spend the rest of my life with, and then I dipped. But that's the problem, isn't it? It wasn't just a person I was attached to; there were _six_ of them. And the problem with that was they looked a like, but had different personalities and different looks. I'd spent my life thinking it would always be me and one other person. Not _six skeletons_.

I groaned, lowering my head into my arms. If any of them came over here asking for me, they would find out the truth. My family is a bunch of monster haters. And if those monster haters found out that I was a soulmate to any monster, let alone seven, then I was done for. I was supposed to be being groomed to take the top spot of the AMM. But instead, life had to throw in this little fucking wrench.

Thanks, life.

My door swung open and my mom's head popped in the door. Leave it to her to not even bother knocking. Her wide blue eyes stared at me for a moment before a fake smile broke on her face. It looked as forced as it looked, coming from a woman who smiled maybe three times in her lifetime. I held back a snort as she came further into my room.

“Hey, sweetie, what are you doing cooped up in here?” she asked. She looked around, her nose crinkling. “Why are you in the dark? It's one in the afternoon.”

I didn't answer her. I only buried my face back in my arms again, leaving myself to my silent pity party. I heard her puttering around my room and grumbled to myself.

“Can you please not?” I asked, looking up again. She looked over at me. “Please? If it actually matters to you, I'd rather be left alone.”

She huffed. “I don't know what your problem is, but you need to get over it and go out. It's a beautiful day and you've been in your room for four days? Have you even showered?”

I rolled my eyes. “Yeah, I have. Go away.”

She left with that, muttering under her breath. In the silence of my room, I made a decision. I didn't know how good of an idea this would be, but I didn't care. I needed to get out of here, and away from them. I got up and put my long hair up in a messy bun, throwing on a pair of torn up jeans and a painted on tank top. I slipped on a pair of flip flops and grabbed my phone, heading for my bedroom door.

On my way out the door, my dad stopped me. He was a big man built with muscle. Most people feared him, and all of the boys who had tried to get with me had swiftly went the other way after dealing with my dad. It also didn't help he was a closed minded bigot when it came down to it. It's been a decade since the monsters came from the Underground and he acts like they've done nothing but cause harm.

“Where are you going?” he asked, glaring down at me with his arms crossed.

“Out,” I said shortly, moving around him.

He may scare other people, but I would be damned if he scared me.

I walked around him and headed for the door. His next words stopped me with my hand on the handle.

“Come home early tonight; we're holding a meeting.”

I winced, physically cringing. I only nodded and hoped he saw, because the second I ripped open the door, I was off running. I knew I shouldn't run in flip flops, but I needed air. I needed to get away from them as soon as possible.

I didn't know where to go. I didn't know where my feet were taking me. I didn't care where they took me at this point. I kept my head down as I ran, running past people and monsters. Some of them paused to wave lamely while others looked on without so much as a glance.

When I reached the park, I slowed down till I stopped. I was bent over with my hands on my knees when a low whistle sounded behind me. With a small strangled noise, I stood up and turned, faced with Orange. His hands were shoved in his pocket, and he was slouched over with a cigarette between his teeth. I hadn't even heard him approach.

“don't stand up on my account,” he said, winking at me. “i'm good with the view.”

I couldn't even crack a smile. My heart was hammering in my chest and I was panting. I knew I didn't look that good at that moment. Sweat dripped into my eyes, and it began to sting until I realized it wasn't sweat hurting my eyes. I was crying.

His eyes grew wide and he was by my side in an instant. He cupped my cheeks in his hands and lifted my head up so he could look at me. His eye lights were wide with worry, bright like he had his own unshed tears. They searched my face desperately.

“hey, hey, what's wrong, honey?” he asked, his voice aching. He paused and his eye lights shrunk, dimming. “did someone hurt you?”

“N-no,” I hiccuped. “No, I'm o-okay.”

“ya don't look it,” he muttered, his eye lights growing and lighting back up. He sighed and straightened. “where ya headed? i'll take ya there m'self.”

“I...I don't know,” I said quietly, moving my face away from his phalanges. They felt good on my skin, but I was embarrassed. I had met him once for five minutes and I was crying in front of him like a toddler. Great. “I was just running and just...I ended here,” I finished lamely.

He regarded me for a moment. I couldn't make out what he was thinking; his face gave nothing away. After another couple minutes, he hooked an arm around my shoulder, causing me to relax against his frame. In that moment, I didn't care. I was usually always on my best behavior, keeping away from monsters just because I knew the backlash it could cause. But at this moment, I felt complete. Or, as complete as I could feel in that moment. Without the other skeletons, I don't think I could feel whole. If that makes any sense.

I leaned against him, feeling a small throb in my chest at the thought. Orange looked down at me with a knowing look.

“howzabout we go see th' others?” he asked lazily. “we're moving everythin' from snowdin up here to th' surface.”

I looked up at him as he began walking us away from my parent's house. “They're moving up here?”

“not enough space in that tiny house,” he said, sadness tinging his voice. “there's a bunch of us livin' in one space now. and blueberry won't sleep in my room...”

“Blueberry?”

“ah, right. i fergot ya left before g started tossing out names like candy to children,” he said. “yeah, we all have our own names now.”

“Well, what's yours?” I asked. “I keep calling you Orange in my head.”

He laughed. “that's a good one,” he muttered. Louder, he said, “nope. my name's stretch in this place.”

If I could have stopped walking, I would have. It took me a full thirty seconds to realize why before I finally cracked, giggling. I tried covering my mouth, but he grabbed my hand with his, stopping us for a moment to look down at me with a satisfied smile, letting his cigarette just drop from his teeth.

“that's a good sound for ya,” he said.

“That must have been the sealiest thing I've heard today,” I choked out.

His eyes went wide again and he started laughing, using his other hand to wipe the tears off my face. I hadn't realized I started to cry again. He brought his head down and put his forehead against mine. When I breathed in, I could smell honey and smoke. Neither smell was bad, even though I usually detested the scent of cigarettes.

“let's get ya to the others.”


	3. Bonding

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I get to see my skeleboys, and even get to be part of a skelepile!...  
> Then I remember the meeting.

This wasn't a house. It was a fucking mansion. It was made of red brick, with a beautiful porch and tire swing in the front attached to a large tree. Papyrus and Blueberry were playing on it, Papyrus pushing the smaller skeleton while the others used their magic to move boxes into the place. There were already porch chairs and a small couch on the porch set up, facing the view of the forest and the mountain in the distance.

The inside was equally large. The kitchen was newly refurbished, with everything from the stove to the microwave brand new. There was a dining room off of that with a new mahogany table set up. Flowers centered it with ten chairs on either side, then one on each end. The light fixtures look like they were the originals that belonged to the house, the one in the dining room an old chandelier.

Throughout the house, I noticed there were artworks that were carefully made, framed and hanging up on the walls. I stopped by one and simply watched it, expecting it to move on its own. It was...me. Kneeling on the floor through the fog and smoke of the lab. It was from when I was trying to get my bearings about me.

I moved on with Stretch as he showed me the rest of the house, stopping in the living room to talk to the gold toothed Sans, who had been named Edge apparently. I took a moment to look around, admiring the other pictures that hung on the walls. The giant green couch was there, along with another and a few chairs. A couple of those were sitting by windows, where it would be more ventilated. My guess is it was for the smokers like Stretch. There was a giant TV hanging on the wall above a fireplace and the mantle held a single picture of a young Papyrus. There was a couple of coffee tables in front of the couches and chairs. One small end table sat by the windows with an ashtray.

When Stretch came back, I asked, “How did he do this?”

He shrugged, heading over to the chairs and sitting in one. He took out a pack of smokes from his pocket, taking one out. He lit it and as he blew out the smoke, he said, “gold, honey.”

“gold is pricey up here,” Red said from behind me. I jumped. He grinned, his tooth glinting in the early afternoon light. “selling the gold they had down in the underground was a good move. 'm too greedy ta 'ave done that.”

Stretch snorted as Sans made his way into the room, his hand raised and his right eye socket glowing as he moved a couple of boxes toward the large staircase on the other side of the room. When he saw me, he paused, his magic seeming to try and fade for a second before he regained control. I felt bad from the other day, so all I did was look down and away, fiddling with my hands. There were a couple more noises and then I was being tackled from the side. I yelled out, falling onto the extremely plushy carpet.

“she's back!” the colorful one cheered. “guys, she's back!”

I opened my mouth to say something before there was a rumbling at my back. I paused with my mouth wide open, with this colorful skeleton rubbing his cheek against my back, _purring like a kitten_. I snapped my jaw shut with an audible click, blinking a few times while he lovingly rubbed his cheek on my back, making some weird satisfied noises. The one thing that threw me off was the fact his bones didn't exactly hurt, and there was a heat that radiated off of him. It was comforting.

“for stars sake, ink, get off the poor girl,” a new voice joined, grumbling irritably.

Ink's heat was removed from my back and I turned over. His eyes were one exclamation point in a weird purple color and a green oval. His grin was stretched out over his face as he waved at me from where he dangled in the air, surrounded by yellow magic. I looked over to see Yellow rubbing his face with a hand. A hand that had a weird hold in the center of the palm.

I waved at him. “Thanks. I think.”

He gave me a small smile as he floated Ink over to one of the couch and dropped him, his magic fading from his eye and from around Ink. Ink cried out as he fell onto the cushions, bouncing for a moment before he finally sat up again. He blinked a few times before he curled his legs underneath himself, sitting criss cross. The paintbrush was still on his back and I was thankful momentarily that it hadn't knocked against my head.

I sat up, sitting on the floor as I rubbed my arm. The skeletons all looked at me, as if expecting me to make another exit. But I sat there, looking at the carpet, the fingers on my free hand splayed out over it. I clenched my hand into it. It felt awkward almost.

“ya okay, sweetheart?” I heard Red ask from by the window.

I nodded. “Fine. I guess,” I whispered.

A pair of pink slippers filled my line of sight and I hunched my shoulders a little. While I did this, my chest felt like it was about to burst. I brought a hand up to my sternum, gripping my shirt in my fist. Sans sat in front of me, stretching one leg out in front of him and tucking the other one underneath it. I blinked at him.

“ya don't gotta worry,” he said, staring toward the far wall. “none of us are mad at ya, princess. we're just worried we might have scared ya off.”

My heart felt heavy in my chest. Before I could think twice about it, I moved and threw my arms around his shoulders, wrapping him up in a hug. He froze for a moment before he brought his hands around my back, awkwardly returning the hug from our position. I clung to him, squeezing my eyes shut as guilt wracked through my body.

It wasn't their fault. With my family being the way they were, I had simply panicked and ran off, which is what I normally did. When things got too tough for me to handle on my own, I bolted from the situation until it got better. I avoided all of my issues with this. It wasn't healthy, and I knew that. But I didn't like confrontation, and I didn't know how to tell them that my family hated monsters. I was at a loss as to what to do.

How are you supposed to tell your soulmates your family will never accept them as one of their own because they're monsters? How do you say words that just get stuck in your throat no matter what you try to do?

Something settled in my chest, a feeling of total contentment as I heard the rustle of clothes from all around me. Within seconds I was being embraced from angle, skeletons surrounding me in their warm embraces. I closed my eyes as I shifted my stance so I could get a little more comfortable.

“it's okay, love,” Sans said from my left.

“papyrus told us everything,” Yellow said above me, placing a hand on my head. “did you think we would let you go so easily?”

“if ya thought that,” Red said to my left, pressing his sharp teeth to my temple, “then yer as crazy as th' rest o' us.”

“not to mention we just met our soulmate!” Ink exclaimed excitedly. “and you met yours! that's gotta count for something!”

“ya ain't gotta worry, honey,” Stretch said, opposite of Yellow. “g and red are right; if ya thought we'd let you go because of something like that, then you're just as crazy.”

After they'd all said their piece, a sob I'd been trying to fight off ripped from my throat. I sat in the middle of the skeleton pile, crying and gripping onto Sans's hoodie with one fist and Red's turtleneck in the other. They sat there with me while I cried, whispering and rubbing any part they could touch. Yellow, well, G's hands tangled in my hair, his phalanges getting caught.

It was what broke the tension, causing me to laugh through the tears. They all stopped, watching me with wide eyes as they took in my appearance. I took my hands back and covered my face as tears still tracked down my cheeks and I laughed. I must have looked a mess.

He began to panic a little, his eye sockets wide and eye lights little pinpricks. I grabbed his hand and brought it in front of me, carefully unraveling my hair from his fingers. I hummed as I did it, rolling my curls from between the cracks in his fingers. When I was done, I paused, studying the hole in his palm. I turned it over and back, even putting my eye up to it.

He chuckled, pulling his hand from my grasp gently. “i know, weird. i don't know why they're there; just born like that.”

“It's unique,” I murmured, looking up at him. “You all are.”

It was quiet for a moment. Then a door slammed open somewhere, causing all of us to jump. There was a bunch of loud clattering before Papyrus and Blueberry made their entrance into the living room. Before anyone said anything, the stopped and stared at the skeletons gathered around me before each rolled their eye lights.

“I UNDERSTAND THAT YOU ARE EXCITED,” Papyrus said, crossing his arms. “BUT LET THE POOR HUMAN BREATHE.”

“I SECOND THAT,” Blueberry said. “THE MAGNIFICENT SANS WOULD LIKE A HUG FROM THE HUMAN AS WELL!”

“she is breathing, paps,” Red said, leaning away to be seen. “she's human.”

“Red,” I groaned.  
Neither of the loud skeletons said anything. Instead, they came closer as my mates dispersed. Papyrus lifted me up, his mittens going underneath my arms. I forgot that while he was tall and lanky, he still had a strength behind him. If he wasn't careful, he could definitely hurt me. But I never had to worry about that with him.

When I was righted, I wiped my face clean of tears before holding out my arms for the little Sans. He squealed, literal blue stars in his eyes as he jumped and hugged me, wrapping his arms around my neck. I could only observe how he was warm, just like the others, and his bones weren't as painful as I thought they'd be. It was a weird observation, but I knew it would be good information for later.

When I let go of Sans, Papyrus stepped forward, an orange glow coloring his cheeks. He was wringing his hands together, looking at everything else but me. When I finally caught his look, he sighed and looked away to the floor.

“I'M SORRY, HUMAN JEWEL,” he stated loudly. “AFTER YOU LEFT, I FELT OBLIGATED TO EXPLAIN WHY YOU LEFT AS QUICK AS YOU DID. OR...MY THEORY AS TO WHY. THE GREAT PAPYRUS WASN'T SO GREAT...”

I sighed, and held out my arms. “It's okay, Papy. I understand why you did it, and I actually appreciate it. Thank you.”

With a smile of relief, the gentle giant swooped me up into a hug. I wrapped my arms around him happily, my legs automatically going around his hipbones. I heard a few disgruntled noises behind me before remembering I had an audience. One that was filled with my soulmates. Who I'm sure weren't to excited I was doing this with Papyrus and not them. My face went scarlet red before detaching from him. He dropped me down gently, placing a mitten on my head. I smiled up at him.

“THANK YOU, JEWEL. YOU'VE ALWAYS BEEN SO KIND TO ME,” Papyrus said before turning and following an excited Blueberry through the dining room to the kitchen.

I watched him go with a smile on my face. When I turned back to the others, they all had different looks on their faces. But Red was the one that talked.

“ya know, that wasn't very nice,” he said lazily, taking a small step forward.

“What do you mean?” I asked.

“you can hug papyrus like that,” G said next, a small smile on his face. “so what about us?”

My eyes widened and I involuntarily gulped. All of them had their eyes on me before I backed up a step without thinking about it. Red caught it and his grin widened. He continued taking steps forward and I kept going back, matching each other step for step.

Until I hit the wall.

I looked up at Red. Though he was small in stature, I only stood at four foot ten. I was legally a midget. He had to still be at least a little under a foot taller than me. One hand slammed into the wall beside my head, causing me to jump. My hands were against my chest in front of me as everything else seemed to fade around me. I could feel my...my soul tugging against me, as if yearning to go to him. I clutched the fabric in front of it.

“well?” he asked. “don't i get a hug, too, sweetheart?”

“red, stop. you're scaring her,” Ink said, his face a mask. His colorful eye lights were gone, replaced by the usual white pinpoints I was used to from the others. “if you're not careful, you could damage the bond we all have.”

He scoffed, but moved away. “fine.” He looked over at me, his mouth turned down into a frown. “sorry, sweetheart. 'm just testing limits.”

I only nodded. Everyone seemed to disperse after that, heading off to do more moving things. Red and Stretch went outside while Ink disappeared in a mist of colorful smoke. G and Sans talked quietly for a moment before moving away and heading into the kitchen where Papyrus and Blueberry were still having the argument over tacos and spaghetti. I didn't know if he was going in there to make sure they behaved or what, but he disappeared with a wink.

It was just Sans and I left in the living room. The boxes he'd been floating into the house lay abandoned on the floor by the couch. I went over to him, leaning my forehead on his clavicle. I felt him shift for a moment before his arms were around my waist, pulling me against him. We were quiet, both of us content enough to just stand there in the embrace. My hand clung to the edge of his sweatshirt, my fist wringing through the fabric.

Eventually, I pulled away. But he didn't let me go. He kept his hold on me, his head dipping down. I felt his teeth against my hair. He pulled back only enough to look down at me, a small and pleased grin on his face. His eyes were half closed.

“What did Ink mean when he said something about damaging the bond?” I asked, quiet.

He tilted his head a little bit and then released me, motioning with his hand for me to go to the couch. We both went, sitting down next to each other, but facing the other. We didn't say anything else for long moments before he finally spoke.

“what do ya know about monsters?” he asked. “paps told me a little bit about you, but he even admitted he didn't know much.”

“I know a bit,” I said. I held up my fist and raised one finger with each fact. “I know you guys don't have physical matter and you turn to dust when you die. I know monsters are actually made of magic. Your souls are the very essence of your being...I mean, that's pretty much all I know.”

Sans held up his finger. “It doesn't matter the race or creature on this earth; every soul around is the very essence of everyone's being. ours just happen to be a little more...needed, I guess, for us to survive. our magic comes from our soul. so when it finally gives, so does our magic.”

“Okay...I know Papy said something about human souls and monster souls being very different though,” I murmured. “But I'm not sure what he meant by that.”

“that's a conversation for another day,” Sans yawned, stretching. “to be on subject, monsters don't fall in love usually. usually, we never even meet our soulmates. when monsters love, we love with everything we have. but new bonds are fragile. they're new, so they need time to develop. it...it usually involves a lot of soul touching and...” As he talked, his face began to grow a bright cyan, as if he was blushing.

“You don't have to keep talking about it if you don't want to,” I said a little above a whisper.

“no, you need to know this,” he said, fidgeting in his seat. “soul touching is just...it's a very private matter. showing your soul to someone is as intimate as sex. maybe more so to us since we're monsters.”

I thought that over. Sex to humans was intimate, sure. But if just talking about this was making him this nervous, there was something more he wasn't telling me. I didn't push it, and he didn't offer any more on it. I played with my hands, watching the light stream in through the tall windows. When I finally spoke, my voice was a whisper.

“So...when do I get to see it?”

He looked panicked for a second, his eye sockets going wide while his eye lights turned into little white pinpricks. His mouth moved, opening and closing like a fish. His entire skull now was the same shade of cyan as his cheeks. I covered my mouth with my hand, my own face flaming in embarrassment. He gave me a strained smile.

“we'll get there, love,” he said, his hand rising to stroke my cheek gently.  
The backs of his fingers were cool, cold on my heated face. I closed my eyes and leaned my face into the touch, a small sigh of contentment slipping past my lips. When I cracked them open, Sans was looking at me, watching my movements. Something inside of me clicked, like it was the moment I was waiting for. I moved, leaning closer to him and lying my head on his lap. I swung my legs over the arm of the chair, letting them hang off the side while I curled up in his lap.

He didn't say anything, just moved his phalanges through my hair. He was careful to avoid the thicker curls, the tips of his fingers massaging my scalp slightly as they caressed my skull. Another sigh escaped me as I closed my eyes once more, burying my face into his leg bones. Before I knew it, I was passed out cold.

**

I didn't know how long I was asleep, but when I woke up, it looked like the sun had made its way around the earth once more. The light outside was a gentle orange color. The sky looked like a rainbow had been spattered on it with Ink's giant paintbrush. It had hues of purple and orange and yellow, a little line of pink in the center of the clouds. I watched them roll by slowly with half lidded eyes before taking a look around.

Part of me wasn't surprised to find all of my skeletons in a little heap around me. I was still lying on Sans' leg, the bones shockingly smooth beneath my cheek. He had fallen asleep himself, I noticed as I looked up at him. His eyes sockets were closed and his permanent grin was in place, just tilted downward in a slight frown. His chest rose and fell with each breath it took.

Red was in front of us, his head lolled to the side. He had fallen asleep curled up, his knees slightly upward and his hands tucked between his own legs. His golden fang glinted in the light of the fading sun, casting a weird light against my arm. He wasn't as sound a sleeper, a small snore emanating from his throat whenever he breathed.

G was next by my feet, using part of my leg as a pillow. I watched his back rise and fall, his shoulders slumped forward. His jacket was gone, but the cream colored turtleneck was still there, acting as a blanket for him.

Stretch was beside Red, his back to the couch. From my angle, I could see his eyes closed, his chest rising and falling in an awkward pattern. It made me wonder if they really needed to breath, or if it was just habit for them like it was for humans. His hood was pulled up, covering his skull as a toothpick dangled from his teeth.

And Ink, bless his soul, was lying on a hammock, which was tied with a rainbow of magic between the edge of the couch we were all on and the chair that was closest to us. But he was the only one awake, doodling in a sketchpad he held in his hands. I didn't notice his scarf until I realized his scarf was the hammock he was gently swinging on. The pencil in his hand was furiously at work, and I went to raise my head a little bit to see what he was doodling.

His head turned to me as soon as I moved, his eye lights white ovals in his skull. He had the most serious expression on his face, one I figured I might not see very often. After about thirty seconds of staring at each other, he gave me a soft smile.

“you're awake,” he said softly.

“Yeah,” I croaked. “What time is it?”

“little before six,” he said noncommittally, turning back to his sketchbook. “the original sans fell asleep not long after you did. then red decided it was nap time. from there, it was like the domino effect; red, stretch, and then g.” He paused before turning back to look at you. “it's probably the most peaceful i've seen any of them.”

That gave me pause. “What do you mean?”

He gave me a cryptic grin. Instead of answering my question, his head swiveled once more to the book in his hands. Curious, I moved slowly, careful to not disturb the pile of skeletons. Sans snorted and Red grumbled something incoherent, but other than that, I managed to safely tiptoe away from them. I came up beside Ink to see what he was working on. And widened my eyes in pleasant shock.

It was a picture of the pile I had just left. I was lying on my side, one of my legs pulled up some while G was looking back at me with a soft smile on his cracked face. Sans was resting his head on the back of the couch, his face one of pure ease. Red was curled up in the same position I found him in, his eyes closed and a pleased smile on his fanged face. Stretch was on his side in the picture, one arm on the couch by my stretched out leg, his head resting on it. His eye lights were on my face. In conclusion, the picture was one of total contentment.

“Wow,” I whispered, reaching out to run my fingers over it. “That's...this is...”

“thanks,” he mumbled, a bright rainbow of colors blooming on his cheeks. He was embarrassed. That was too adorable.

I looked back out at the sky again before a thought struck me. I gasped.

“Fuck!”

My shout startled the skelepile awake. G's head shot straight up while Sans himself straightened upright. Red hollered out, a red glow encasing his hand and lighting up his right eye socket. Stretch jumped awake, his hood falling from his head. I glared at Red for a moment before shaking it off and heading for the door, my heart hammering in my chest.

“where ya goin', sweetheart?” Red asked, appearing beside me. I didn't even pause.

“I have to go home,” I said, reaching for the door handle. “There's...there's a meeting with the...the AMM tonight.”

“do you really have to be there?” Sans asked, scowling. “like, in all seriousness?”

I sighed sadly, my hand dropping from the handle. I hung my head and used my other hand to run it down my face. “Yeah, sadly, I do.” My voice dropped to a murmur. “My parents are grooming me to take over, after all.”

There was a pregnant pause. I could feel numerous emotions, and not just my own. There was confusion and anger prominent among them. But there was also hurt and a feeling of pure, agonizing sadness. The feelings welling up around me made my eyes sting with tears. I put both of my hands to my face, my body shaking with the effort to hold back the sobs.

“I don't want to,” I whispered brokenly. “I don't want to do this.”

A pair of arms wrapped around me, bringing me close. I moved my hands to see a black hoodie with a gold zipper in my vision. His hand came up to cup the back of my head, his fingers tangling in my hair and holding my head still. I felt his teeth against my hair, and his breath tickled the top of my scalp. I shut my eyes again, feeling my tears trek down my cheeks like lava.

I felt horrible. I was apart of the Anti Monster Movement, and I didn't even want to be. And then life had to throw in these damn skeletons, the ones who were my soulmates. I felt that ache in my chest. My soul was on fire, aching in a way I never knew could be possible. My body was wracking with sobs, ones I tried my best to keep quiet. None of them spoke, they all just watched me with sad expressions.

I couldn't bring myself to look at them. I kept my face buried in my hands even after my sobs finally stopped. I was sniffling now, one hand clinging to Red's hoodie. He said nothing, just kept his mouth to the top of my head.

After I was able to stop, he pulled out a handkerchief from his pocket and handed it to me. I wiped my face and blew my nose, keeping it in my hand. No way was I going to give him my snot; I don't care who you are. That's just disgusting. I clung to it like a lifeline instead. I finally dared a peek up at him and he was only looking at me with a small smile.

“Sorry,” I muttered.

“ya should get goin',” he said quietly. “if ya need us after, we'll know. and we'll be there in a heartbeat.” He held up a hand when I opened my mouth, stopping what I was about to say. “i don't care if they'll get mad an' try to chase us. none of us do. they don't scare us. we'll be there the second something feels wrong, ya hear?”

I nodded, giving him a smile. His face was covered in a red hue, lighting up like a Christmas light. It made me chuckle.

“Then I'll be going,” I said softly. “Do you guys pro–”

“we don't promise,” Stretch said suddenly. “but we'll be there. don't ya worry bout that.”

I didn't ask; not now, anyway. I would at a later date when I wasn't in a rush. Without thinking, I reached up on my tiptoes and kissed Red's cheek, causing his face to brighten further. Half of his skull was now the shade of a rose. I opened the door and ran out, pausing to turn back and wave at them. Without waiting for any type of response, I turned back and began running back home.

I had a bad feeling about this...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you guys again for reading this! I'll probably update this every time I complete a chapter, actually. But that could be a while, just remember that. Things are really stressful, and work isn't going so hot for me. So please bear with me, and enjoy!


	4. Meeting

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Time for the meeting.
> 
> This isn't going to end well at all.

When I got back home, my parents were still setting up for the meeting. I called out to them to let them know I was home before heading up the stairs to my room. I shut the door, leaning against it while trying to regain my breath. I was seriously out of shape.

After trying to do it that way, I went over to the dresser and pulled out a new pair of my nicer clothes before heading to the bathroom. I ran the shower, jumping in. I stood there in the hot spray for a moment before sighing, washing my hair. I couldn't get what Ink had said out of my head.

What did he mean when he said that? He acted like he'd babysat them or watched over them at some point. But none of them knew each other. He was as much a mystery as the rest of them, maybe more so now that I had that comment stuck in my head. 

_it's probably the most peaceful i've seen any of them._

I let out a groan and scrubbed the conditioner into my hair with a little more force than really necessary. I dropped my hands, letting the water wash it away before grabbing the bottle of body wash. I lathered and rinsed, getting out and drying off, scrubbing my towel over my long hair. When I straightened and stood up again, throwing my hair back, I caught myself in the fogged up mirror. I wiped my hand across it and looked at my reflection.

Long brown hair that ended in curls, stopping near the middle of my back. Bright blue eyes that mirrored my mother's stared back at me, dark circles underneath. My skin looked sallow, almost sickly pale. I crossed my arms over myself, not wanting to look at my body in the mirror and turned away, wrapping my towel around myself as I went back across the hall into my room.

I stared at the clothes on my bed, each moment drawing closer to the meeting. Dread filled my stomach, bile rising to the back of my throat. I felt like this every time there was a meeting. They weren't so special that they were like black tie affairs. But we had to look our best without looking like a scrappy family. But that's what we were.

My parents both left their jobs when the monsters came around. When they began to become a part of society more, they quit their jobs and stayed home to continue the AMM. I had been twelve when I had made my first book review at the library. From there, it had simply soared into something more. I ended up getting signed up with a couple of magazines and book club things that paid me to write the reviews. A few of these magazines were part of some world-wide thing that paid really well, so I was able to be set.

But then it began to fall onto my shoulders to pay the bills and mortgage. As sad as it is, I had been supporting the three of us since I was a teenager in high school. They sat around at home all day, bitching and moaning about the monsters and how they were ruining chances for jobs and such. But, in reality, they both left jobs they'd had for years. Even before they had me. In my opinion, they just didn't want to work anymore.

When they saw the first paycheck I'd gotten, they snatched it from my hands and demanded to know where I had gotten it. When I told them, in all my innocence, they had encouraged me more. I had been proud of myself that I had done something right. It took me three or four years to realize that wasn't the case. They were just excited their daughter could make the money they refused to work for.

After that, it was a downward spiral. I told them some of my jobs had let me go, so I wasn't making as much. I got my own bank account that I had hidden until I was eighteen, and had the money put there instead of having checks sent to me. I paid all the stuff needed, but I had it spaced out where I could still have money for me, too.

That's when they realized I would be perfect to take over for them. When I was ten, I'd heard them arguing about it. When I was twelve, I heard them agreeing on it. By thirteen, I was bawling as they initiated me into the AMM. The memory still sent chills down my spine.

I sighed, putting on my bra and underwear before pulling my jeans on. After that was situated with a studded belt, I grabbed my shirt and pulled it on, adjusting the collar so I didn't feel like I was choking. I went back into the bathroom and put on simple makeup, just some mascara and eyeliner. I blow dried my hair, fluffing it up so I could bring out the curls a little more.

When I finally went downstairs, almost everyone was already there. My parents were looking like the most upstanding citizens in their dressy clothes and pretty jewelry. I fought the urge to gag as I made my way over, plastering the most painful, fake smile I could muster on my face. When they saw me, they beamed at me. My stomach was churning.

“We're just about to start,” my mom said, taking my hand and leading me into the living room. “Come sit down and let's wait for the others.”

The “others” were a bunch of their friends who had the same closed minded views they did. Which made no sense to me, honestly, because they still had their jobs. More jobs had actually been made when the monsters came back to the Surface. But heaven forbid if I ever pointed that out.

I sat in the same spot I always did, and did the same thing. I brought out my phone and ignored all the things they were talking about. It was the same thing every month. They whined about how jobs were scarce and that monsters were taking over the minds of the young kids. They had to do something about it, they had to try and fight back. They had to find a way to null the magic within the monsters. They were the descendants of the Sages and needed to get these “vile creatures” back to where they came from.

If they had listened to the legends at all growing up, they would know that monsters had once lived up on the Surface before they had been trapped Underground.

_Dumbasses._

What caught my attention, though, was when one of them brought up Sans.  
“I don't know what's going on, but I felt like I was seeing quadruple or something,” the guy groaned. “There wasn't just one, or two, or three. There were numerous versions of this one skeleton monster. Like, I haven't even seen him around!”

“I heard his brother is that big, lanky fool who walks around wearing mittens and snow boots,” one of the older ladies said., tossing her hair over her shoulder. “It's ridiculous.”

I could feel anger welling up inside of me as they continued to talk. I clenched my teeth together, hoping that if I did that, I would keep my mouth shut. Who were they to judge Papyrus? It was part of his suit. And he was such a gentle monster...

“He just signed up with Directory,” my dad said, drawing it up on his phone. “His name is Sans. The others I'm not sure of.” It took everything inside of me to not say anything. “It says here he's quite old, maybe a couple centuries. He uses magic, obviously. He sold a shit ton of gold.”

“Go figure he's got money,” one his other friends said begrudgingly. “My poor mother is surrounded by these creatures, and she lives in the same neighborhood.”

“Poor woman,” one of the older librarians murmured, sipping her coffee. “I would hate that so much.”

“This Sans might be extremely dangerous,” my mother said. “What would happen if one of the kids got hurt? Or my Jewel?”

While the adults all murmured in agreement, my anger continued to grow. My hand gripped the arm of the chair so tight my knuckles were turning white. I kept my gaze out the window, but my eyes were stinging. It wasn't out of sadness; it was out of ire. My irritation was rising to a point where I felt with one more bad thing said, I was going to blow.

“Jewel would be okay,” my dad said, pride prominent in his voice. “She knows how to handle herself. After all, she had a fucking goat as a teacher.”  
That caused the guys to laugh loudly. One of them slapped his knees as he said, “That fucking goat tried getting me to come in for some parent-teacher conference the other day for Carter. The reason was because I guess he told her to go fuck herself over not doing his homework. When she called and said something, I told her the same thing and hung up.”

Nausea built in my throat. The urge to get up and leave was strong. Toriel was so gentle and easygoing. She was wonderful and I always watched her with Frisk while growing up. To be honest, I had once wished the goat woman had taken me under her wing, too. Frisk was always well taken care of, always had food. And then there was the pie. The butterscotch cinnamon pie. Toriel had brought it in once when I was in high school and had given some out for Pi Day. For the love of all food, that was probably the best I'd ever had.

I probably gained ten pounds that day.

My father laughed now, his grin wide. “That's Carter for ya. He'll make a great addition to the AMM one day.”

“I'll say,” the guy said. “It's so funny how he'll be with those monster kids. He's so rude and they just stand there and take it! Like, why wouldn't you fight back? They have all this powerful magic, but they won't use it.”

“Jewel, honey, are you okay?”

The fake concern had me shutting my eyes and taking in a deep breath. My mother's melodic voice grated against my ears. That voice had once sung me to sleep after any nightmares I had growing up. Now, it was something that made me want to vomit all over my good clothes. I opened my eyes and sighed.

“I'm fine. Just tired.”

“Okay, sweetie.”

Fucking gag me.

They kept talking among themselves for hours. I kept my eyes outside as I watched the fading light turn into darkness, stars lighting up the sky. I tried my best to keep them drowned out by thinking of other things, but it was hard when I kept hearing Sans's name. The moment I would hear his name, my heart would feel light and easy, and a small smile would come to my face.

It was nine o'clock when they all finally left. They were escorted out of the house with promises that the next meeting would be at the librarian's house. I told her I'd be by in the next couple days to pick up a new book and then slammed the door in her face. I heard her hum softly under her breath before she left. My parents were cleaning up in the living room when I came back, picking up plates and cups. The clatter was the noise in the room as I came further into the room, heading for some more dishes.

“How long did you know?”

I almost tripped over my own feet when my dad spoke up. His back was to me, but he was handing my mother things to take to the kitchen. The way her head was angled down, I knew nothing good could come from this.

“What do you mean?” I asked grumpily.

He turned to face me. “I mean whenever we mentioned that...that abomination's name, you would smile like it was the best thing ever to happen to you.”

Did he just...?  
Oh, _hell_ no.

That was the last straw.

“Excuse me?” I asked lowly, my eyes narrowing.

His narrowed, too, his black eyes flashing obsidian. It was hard to imagine this man was the same one who would give me piggy back rides on the walk to school making airplane noises. Then carry me home, cradled in his arms after a long day at the park, ice cream all over the front of my shirt. It was hard to remember that he used to actually act like a father, not a drill sergeant.

Both of my parents used to be wonderful. Family dinners at the table, tucked in at night, breakfast every Sunday. All the ice cream and father/daughter dates we used to have. Mother's Day was spent in the bedroom, drinking tea while watching some horrible movie that neither of us really paid much mind to. My nose was usually in a book, showing her all the new words I'd learned from it and asking for definitions for some of them.

Now, it was like I was in the military. My dad acted like he was owed something when in reality, no one owed him shit. And I was going to remind him if I had to.

After another minute of silence, I took in a deep breath, blowing it out through my mouth. I faced my father head on, squaring myself for what I knew was going to happen.

“Excuse me?” I repeated a little louder.

“Don't act all high and mighty with me, little girl,” he growled out. “You're my daughter, not my equal. Anytime the name 'Sans' left my mouth, yours lifted in the most blissful smile I've seen from you in years.”

I lifted my upper lip in a sneer. “You call them abominations. But let's be honest here; what the fuck did they do to you?”

My mother gasped. “Jewel!”

My father's nostrils flared. He was losing his cool. Good. “They took everything!” he hollered. “That's what they did. All the good things we had going for us here, they took it all! There are even some countries that won't allow them into their territories! We are from one of the Sages; it is in our blood to hate them! They took everything from us! Jobs, money, even houses and parks!”

His face was beet red, a vein popping out on his forehead and on the side of his throat. His hands were clenched tightly at his sides, his knuckles white. I had only seen him like this once, when the monsters first began to go through the Directory.

The Directory was a place in town built so the monsters could register to be part of our society. Kind of like an immigrant, only they had once occupied the same space we had centuries ago before we locked them up. They went there and signed their names, dates of births and everything. Like you would with an application of sorts. From there, they would give them some kind of social security card and go from there.

I bit back a laugh before saying, “They took nothing. They had once lived up here with us peacefully! In case you forgot, _we_ did them wrong. Not the other way around! But you're the one acting all high and mighty here. You and mom, and those...those people you call your friends. Hell, you worked with some of them before they came up here! Then you fucking quit your jobs because why? You got butt hurt that they came back here? Get over your fucking self!”

I have seen my father angry. Have heard him angry. He will yell and scream until he gets his way. It was a side of him I had grown used to. What I had never seen from him before was throwing things like a five year old throwing a tantrum.

He picked up a saucer and tossed it at my head. There was screaming, but I wasn't sure whose it was. I know there was mine, but there was another one mixed in. Maybe my mother. I wasn't sure. I managed to duck, but the plate shattered against the wall, splintering into so many pieces. A few of them bounced back at me, piercing my skin. I stared at my arm with wide eyes, tears welling. They weren't big or anything, small slivers in my arm.

The biggest problem I was facing right now was that my dad had decided that instead of walking away like he used to when he and mom fought, was to throw something at me. They began to bleed, small lines of bleed beginning to leak out and roll down my arm. I looked away from them and back up at my father. My mother had ducked behind him, and his face didn't look the least bit remorseful. Instead, he looked rather pleased with himself.

Nothing hurt worse than watching that expression. It would be implanted into my mind forever, the smirk that was on his lips.

“Now you listen to me,” he snarled, his smirk still in place. “You're going to go up to your room–”

“that won't be necessary.”

The new voice in the room was right beside me. I sagged with relief. An arm caught me before my knees gave out, wrapping around my waist. A small tingle ran through my body, and I could feel my soul practically vibrating with joy.

Sans stood to my right, his hands in his hoodie pocket. He hadn't changed, still wearing the same clothes as before. The smell of cigarettes filled my nose, and I looked over to see Red on my left, Stretch standing behind me. Stretch's hand was on my shoulder. Red's arm was around my waist, keeping me close to him. None of them were looking at me. Instead, they were staring at my father. Their eye lights were almost nonexistent.

“What the...” My dad stopped and shook his head, rubbing his eyes with heels of his palms before blinking and looking again. When he saw they were actually there, he let out a harsh sounding laugh. “So this is why she was all happy when I said your name! My daughter is a _skeleton fucker_.”

I cringed, tears spilling down my cheeks in hot waves. Red's arm tightened around me, pulling me closer to him. I felt Stretch's hand on my shoulder tighten as well, guaranteed to leave bruises in the morning. Sans had gone completely still beside me. When I looked over, I let out a whine.

His eye lights were completely gone. His eye sockets were devoid of their eye lights, staring right at my father. His grin was still in place, but it had become strained. Part of me wanted to reach out, calm him down, but the other part of me told me it was best I didn't. Plus, Red wasn't letting me go anytime soon. His arm was like a second belt wrapped around me. I was grateful.

**“d o y o u w a n n a h a v e a b a d t i m e ?”**

The way he said it sent shivers down my spine. The temperature in the room dropped by several degrees. I turned away from him and buried my face into Red's hoodie, taking in the scent of smoke and mustard. There was another smell lingering there, something earthy. I would figure out more about that later. Right now, I squeezed my eyes shut, my tears still falling down my cheeks.

My dad was silent. I went to go look at him, but Red moved so he was standing in front of me, keeping me sandwiched between him and Stretch. I felt something press against the top of my head and looked up a little. Stretch's mouth was curved upward in a small smile.

“told ya we'd come to ya, honey,” he whispered low enough where my dad wouldn't hear.

“Thank you,” I whispered back, my voice cracking.

“if ya don't mind,” Red said, a steely edge to his tone, “we'll be takin' her with us. not like ya got much choice anyway.”

I heard my mom let out a small, sad cry. “You can't take her anywhere!” she groaned. “That's my little girl! Don't take my baby!”

**“s h u t u p.”**

There was an audible click before I heard that familiar hum from the other day. I looked over to see Sans' eye light up, his blue magic seeming to leak from it. Wisps of magic flew from it, almost like there was an angry wind in the room with us. I saw the pieces of saucer glow blue before they were picked up and floating in the air. I watched silently before turning away.

Whatever happened, they deserved it.

I loved my family. Actually, I loved what we had once been. Now, we were broken. And they had majorly fucked up. It hurt the most what my dad did, but it also hurt my mom didn't try to stop him or come to make sure I was okay. I could be acting dramatic, but I've seen mothers. Even if it's just a small slice on their child's finger, they still ran to them to make sure they were okay.

She didn't even ask from where she was if I was alright.

“take her upstairs,” Sans said, not moving. The pieces of saucer were still floating in the air. “stretch and i will wait here for you while she gathers what she'll need. she's leaving, and not coming the fuck back.”

Red didn't say anything. He grabbed my hand, wrapping his phalanges through my fingers and dragging me with him. I went willingly, my body slouching slightly. He still said nothing as he stopped and picked me up, cradling me against his sternum while he carried me up the stairs. No one moved from where they were, but I could feel my dad's eyes on me.

I clung to the front of his hoodie, pointing out my room silently. He went in, kicking the door open with his shoe before entering. He set me down on the bed gently, his fingers pausing to run through my hair. He gazed down at me, his grin turned down into a frown. His gold tooth was dark against his face, almost looking black in the darkness. I looked up at him with a small smile.

“where's yer stuff at so we can get ya outta here?” he asked softly.

“Closet,” I answered. “There's a suitcase in there. I can fit a good portion of the important things in there.”

“okay, sweetheart,” he said. He leaned down, pressing his teeth against my forehead in a kiss. “gimme two seconds to grab it, then we're gonna empty the fuck outta this room. 'kay?”

“Okay.”

He left me for a moment. I heard my closet door open and felt the familiar hum of magic as my room lit up in a bright red glow. I heard the suitcase moving from where it was situated and it floated over to my bed. He placed it down and unlatched it, opening it up. All of that done with magic. I got off the bed and headed for my dresser.

I started with all my favorite clothes and placed them neatly in the case. Then I went for the bathroom and grabbed all the things I needed. Including my blow drier and all my towels. I went back and placed them in there. I grabbed my jewelry box and placed it in between some clothes before look around one last time. I grabbed a few pictures and placed them in there before shutting and locking it. When I was done, I nodded at Red.

He nodded back and used his magic to pick it up. His left eye light was gone, his right replaced by a red orb that glowed in his skull. He picked me up again, still cradling me against him as we left the room and went back down. Nothing had changed, and everyone was still in their spots. When my mom saw the suitcase, a sob ripped from her throat.

My dad, however, was still seeing red.

“Go fuck your skeletons then,” he snarled at me. “Just know you're never, and I mean _never_ , welcome back in my house. Am I clear?”

“Crystal,” I spoke quietly. Red brought me closer to Sans and Stretch. “Can we go now?” I whispered to them.

“c'mon, sans,” Stretch said quietly. “let's get her the fuck outta here before one of us does something stupid.”

With a nod, Sans looked at me. The magic on the suitcase changed from red to orange, indicating Stretch's magic. Red breathed in deep, looking down at me.

“gonna need ya ta hold on tight fer me, sweetheart,” he said. “we're taking a shortcut.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **The moment you've all been waiting for.**
> 
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> Enjoy! <3


	5. Rough Times

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I tell them everything that happened. They don't take it too well, but Edge takes it worst. Though, I do get a good surprise in the end.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm updating as I complete a chapter. Once chapter seven is done, I'll post six. So on and so forth. I've decided to do it like that so I'm always a step ahead of you guys.
> 
> I may take a hiatus for a while; I just found out a cousin I grew up with passed away today. My family needs me right now, especially my great aunt. I'll do what I can, but please don't expect much.
> 
> Enjoy! <3

Round two of the nausea and double, blurry vision didn't last as long this time. They had me sit in the living room on the floor for a little bit while I got over it, still trying to draw air. I think it's fair to say I don't like their shortcuts.

They sat beside me, Stretch looking at the arm that had gotten cut up. They weren't bad, just small slivers. He left for a moment, coming back with a bowl of hot water and a washcloth, steam rising from the bowl. He also had a couple of small bandages and some antiseptic cream. He knelt down beside me, dipping the washcloth into the water and rubbing my arm gently, cleaning off the blood that had slipped down my arm during the fight.

I only sat there, my body limp as I went over everything in my mind. They had trashed on Papyrus, one of the gentlest monsters to ever wander the Surface. Not to mention they way they had talked about my soulmates. Then there was talk of how they had hurt Toriel. They thought it was funny a fourteen year old boy told a teacher to fuck themselves, just because she's a monster. But if it had been a human, it would have been okay?

I had hoped to keep it a secret from them for a while longer, but I had ended up giving everything away by just facial expressions. And it had angered him so much he had lashed out at me. The thought stung more than I imagined it would.

“all done, honey,” Stretch said, his voice bringing me back. “are you okay?”

“I think...” I sighed. “I don't know.”

“what happened?” Sans asked.  
There were the noises of footsteps coming from around the house. I looked up slowly just as Ink and G came running into the room, looking everywhere. When their eye lights landed on me, they came running over to join us. The other three moved out of the way so they could each touch me, running their fingers through my hair. I shut my eyes, taking in a deep breath. After everything that happened, they must have just wanted to make sure I was really okay.

When I opened my eyes again, Papyrus and Blueberry were standing in the doorway, Blue's eye lights filling with bright cyan tears. Huh, who knew skeletons could cry?

Papyrus's eyes landed on the bandages on my arm, before his eye lights shrunk. A chill came over the room before he looked back up at me. Sans was terrifying when his eyes did that, but seeing tender Papyrus like this was just as scary.

“easy, paps,” I heard Sans say. “she's going through a lot right now. calm down and come over. i know you're not her mate, but if hugging her will make you feel better...”

Neither of the skeletons by the dining room door hesitated. Blueberry practically sailed across the room to land in my lap, burrowing his head into my neck. A quiet cry sounded from the small, childlike skele. I wrapped my arms around him, hissing slightly when the bandages pulled against my skin. I kissed the top of his skull, whispering to him that I was okay.

Stretch was watching me with a hard expression. I could kind of understand why; if the same things happened in his timeline that happened in this one, maybe I deserved to be stared down like that. They all seemed rather fond of their Papyrus's, and I could kind of get why on that, too.

When Stretch took Blueberry away, hugging the little skeleton, Papyrus came forth, dropping to his knees. His hands were on his kneecaps, his mittens curled in a way that let me know he was clenching his fists. I placed a hand on his mitten, his head shooting up to meet my gaze. I almost cringed away from the dull eye lights, but I kept my composure, opening my other arm for a hug from him.

He embraced me tightly, doing the same thing Blueberry had and burying his face into my neck. I heard Sans sigh before the first cry ripped from Papyrus, whose grip tightened on me. It was becoming a tad bit painful, but I knew he needed this just like my soulmates had needed to. Papyrus was a lover, not a fighter. Which is why they tried their best not to let him join the Royal Guard back in the Underground. I rubbed the top of his skull as he hugged me.

“I-I'M SO SORRY, HUMAN JEWEL,” he cried. “I SHOULD H-HAVE GONE W-WITH YOU. I SHOULD HAVE B-BEEN THERE TO-TO PROTECT YOU.”

“It's okay, Papy,” I whispered, laying my cheek on his skull. “I'm okay. We're going to be alright now.”

It was another five minutes before he managed to get himself together. When he had finally settled, Sans stood up, touching his shoulder. He looked over at his older brother, orange tears leaking down his cheeks. Without another word, Papyrus got up, giving me a platonic kiss on the cheek before following his brother upstairs. Stretch stood, taking Blueberry with him. He had quieted, his tears having left dimmed cyan streaks on his cheeks. They went up as well, with a look back.

“we'll be right back, honey,” Stretch said. “we're gonna put these two to bed.”

“Okay.”

They went up, leaving me with Red, Ink and G. My suitcase lay forgotten over by the couch, sitting upright. I sat on the floor until a hum sounded. I looked up to see Ink's eyes dimmed out, replaced by colorful orbs of magic in both eyes. A chill came over my skin, raising goosebumps on my skin. I looked down to see my body covered in that same colorful magic, swirls of every color surrounding me.

It was a surreal experience. I was lifted affably off the floor. I squealed in shock as I floated in the air, looking down at the three skeletons. I was drifted over to the couch, where I was sent down with ease. The magic faded, Ink's eyes returning to a gold star and green oval. They all got up and came to surround me.

“when they come back, you're tell us everything,” G said, his tone brooking no argument. “that's why they put the other two to bed; their gentle hearts couldn't take it if it was as bad as i'm guessing.”

“don't worry, flower,” Ink said, his hand stroking my cheek. “we'll take good care of you from here on out. ya hear?”

I nodded. Sans and Stretch returned, putting their fingers to their mouths. We all nodded before they joined. When they were settled, G stood up, holding up a finger. He disappeared in a wisp of yellow smoke before reappearing a few moments later. He held a bottle of alcohol in his yellow magic with a few shot glasses. There was also a twenty ounce bottle of Coke floating beside it. When I looked at him, he gave me a small grin.

“you're underage, angel,” he said simply.

He passed out the shot glasses and handed me the Coke bottle. I left it alone for a minute while they each poured themselves some shots, throwing them back in one simultaneously. I cracked a smile as they each lowered their glasses and refilled, doing one more before their eyes all came back to me. I shifted in my seat.

“so, what happened?” Red asked, his voice rough. “we were all movin' then suddenly yer soul just...flared, screamed, i guess ya could say.”

I looked down. “They were talking about you guys,” I said. “One of my dad's friends saw all of you out and doing stuff, I guess. They were...were picking on Papyrus...” I stopped to swallow, my eyes stinging. “I guess while they were talking, anytime they mentioned your name, Sans, I would smile or something. He put two and two together after that, in a sense.”

The temperature in the room was dropping again. Each of their eye lights were dimming with every word I spoke. If their teeth weren't already clenched, they would have been in that moment. Red and Stretch got up, heading over to the windows and lighting up cigarettes. The smell of them drifted over, causing G to get up and join them. They were still close enough to listen, but I knew they needed to do that in order to try and calm down.

“I had gotten tired of it. He called you an abomination and...and I lost my cool. So I asked what the fuck he did to you, and he went on a rampage. Told him to get over himself and he...” I swallowed, looking away from any of their eyes. “He threw the plate at my head.”

The room was ice cold. I was surprised I didn't see my breath fogging up in front of me. I covered my arms with my hands, rubbing them for warmth. It was eerily quiet so I looked back up. All of the boys were void of eye lights. Three of them had their permanent grins in places, their look sending fear down my throat like the alcohol they were drinking. Stretch and G were frowning, their teeth showing more at the top of their mouth, like they were sneering.

None of them said anything, but their expressions spoke volumes. They were pissed, and rightly so. When Sans told me they loved with everything they had, he wasn't kidding. Their expressions were murderous.

Stretch spoke first.

“honey, you're never going near them again, am i clear?” he growled lowly, his voice thick. “i don't care what the fuck you have to say about it.”

“i second that,” Ink said, his head tilted. “quite frankly, i'm glad i didn't go now.”

I wasn't asking why. I had a feeling I already knew the answer.

G stood up abruptly, heading for the kitchen again. He didn't disappear in a puff of smoke this time, just meandered his way through the dining room. His shoulders were tense, and his hands were in tight fists. I looked back and Sans had taken his spot beside me, his eye lights having reappeared, but dim.

“he'll be back,” he said lowly. “he's just going for a walk.”

Red stood up quickly, startling me. I looked over at him, watching him shake, his bones rattling quietly beneath his clothes. His eye was lit up red, his magic leaking in long wisps smoking out the side. His hands were covered in magic, which was fading and regrowing as he tried his best to control his temper.

“don't worry, sweetheart,” he said, his voice strained. “you're never steppin' foot near them again. we'll always be with ya.”

Ink and Stretch nodded in agreement. My body sagged, my heart heavy in my chest. The tears that had blurred my vision leaked down my cheeks. God, I'd been crying so much these last couple days, not to mention the last day. I opened my mouth to talk, and when I started, I couldn't seem to stop.

“Everything was great,” I cried. “He used to be so amazing. We'd have silly daddy/daughter dates where I would dress up in some stupid dress and he would go as far as to wear a tuxedo. We'd go out and eat and go to the park and get ice cream. He would protect me from the monsters under my bed – no offense.” I stopped to wipe my nose with Edge's handkerchief. “My mom and I used to sit in the bedroom and have tea parties. She used to sing me to sleep, and she'd cuddle me if I had a nightmare growing up. Her voice wasn't always so false, and my dad wasn't always such a lazy bigot.” I let out a harsh sob. “They used to be so good to me.”

They didn't speak. Sans took my hands in his, stroking my skin. His bones were cool to the touch, almost frozen like it was back in Snowdin. Stretch got up, moving for the stairs.

“i'm going to bed, honey.” He paused by my side, leaning over quite a bit to press a kiss to the top of my head. “i'll see you in the morning.”

He was gone, poofing in a puff of orange smoke. I blinked before my body relaxed, the thought of seeing him putting me at ease. I looked over at Red, who had his eyes closed, his hands still shaking. The sound of rattling bones filled the room.

I removed my hands from Sans's grasp and went over to him. I approached slowly, scared of startling him into making a wrong move. When I got close enough, I reached out my hand, my fingertips lightly curving around his hoodie. His eyes shot open, his eye light still in place. The other white eye light was coming back slowly, still a bit dimmed out. He watched me for a moment before he pulled me to him.

And kissed me.

It was a weird experience, a skeleton kissing me. His fangs pressed against my lips, and in reaction, I kissed him back. I felt the hum of his magic in that kiss, moving through my body. My eyes had shut of their own accord and I kept them that way, enjoying just feeling right now. One of his arms moved and wrapped around my waist, bringing me up against his sternum. I could feel my soul react to it, too.

It was thrumming in my own sternum, as if there was a part of me that was falling into place. There was a peace that fell over me in that moment, something I'd rarely felt as I was growing up.

When he pulled away, I heard one of the other two behind me whine.

“i wanted to be first!” Ink complained.

“get over it,” Red said, his eyes staying on me.

I opened my eyes, bringing my hand up to cup his cheekbone. There was a purring noise in the back of his throat, and it reminded me of when we had all been in that small log cabin back in Snowdin. A tiny smile appeared on my face. His arm didn't move, his other hand coming up to place itself over my own.

“i had ta,” he said finally. “i just...i needed ta do that.”

“we know,” Sans said simply.  
A yawn broke through my defenses. When I closed my mouth, every one of them was watching me with a weird interest. Red's eyes had their eye lights back, the red orb of magic gone. I stroked his cheekbone with my thumb absently.

“do that again,” Ink said excitedly. “do it again!”

A little laugh erupted. If I thought Blueberry was childlike, what did that make Ink?

“i think it's time for bed,” Sans said. He paused from getting up, meeting my gaze when I turned to face him. “you have a choice. do ya wanna sleep on the couch, bucko, or with one of us?”

I thought it over. I wouldn't mind sleeping on the couch. Though well worn in, it was comfortable enough for me to fall asleep on, obviously. But, as I thought it over, I knew then that none of the skeletons would end up staying in their own rooms. Something inside of me already knew they'd make their ways down to me and sleep near me like they had once before.

Red's desperation leaked out of him in waves. If I thought my death grip on his hoodie earlier in the day was bad, the grip he had on my waist was something else entirely. He was staring down at me, a look of hope crossing his features for a brief second.

“I'll sleep with Red tonight,” I murmured. “He seems like he needs it.”

Sans nodded in agreement, his smile small. I let go of Red for a moment, earning me a small whine of disapproval. I went to Sans, reaching up on my tiptoes to kiss his cheek. He turned his head the last second, catching my lips in a kiss.

Instead of fangs, his teeth slid against my lips with ease. There was another hum as he wrapped an arm around my shoulders, squishing me to him. My eyes closed and my hands came up, my fists burying into the top of his hoodie. I kissed him back, my lips curving up into a smile. Again, my soul reacted to the kiss.

Just like with Red, something seemed to click into place, like a puzzle piece fitting perfectly into the right space. My soul felt like it was soaring, feeling light in my chest.

He finally let me go, pressing his forehead against mine as he stared down at me with a lazy smile.

“g'night, princess,” he said. He stepped back and winked before disappearing into a puff of blue smoke.

I could only stare into the empty space. I shook my head again. It was going to take me a bit to get used to that. I turned to Ink, who was staring at me with a green question mark and a purple flower in his eye sockets. His expression was expectant, and when I opened my arms, he bounded up from his spot on the floor and tackled me again. We fell to the floor in a heap, but before I could protest, his teeth were on mine.

This was different. There was the hum of magic in the air around me, but it was like a higher pitch. I closed my eyes, and there were bursts of colors behind my eyelids. I felt dizzy for a moment before I tugged on his scarf. I felt partially whole as my soul felt another piece of the puzzle fall into place. It tugged against me, as though trying to break free to get to them.

Ink finally pulled away, a content smile on his face as he got up off me. “goodnight, flower!” he said, waving before he, too, disappeared in a puff of smoke.

I stood up at Red came over to me, taking my hand in his. When I looked at him, his grin was full of excitement. Neither of us said anything as he tugged on my hand, leading me to and up the stairs. We passed by a few doors, most of which were closed. There were designs on them already, painted with colors matching their magic. The hallway was even covered in artwork. One wall was nothing but a mural of the Underground, starting from the Ruins all the way to the throne room. 

Red finally stopped at a door after a few turns here and there. There was a jagged red line across it, and he opened the door with a small creak. When we entered, I was astounded. It was immaculate or anything, but it was already messy. They hadn't been here long, but socks and garbage littered the room. I saw wrappers from Grillby's bar laying on the ground. And when I say socks, I mean socks. There were so many socks on the ground. I looked up at him and he blushed his rosy red I was beginning to enjoy.

He led me to the bed and only let go of my hand long enough to let me sit and test it out. It was like a cloud, soft and fluffy. I barely bounced on it and when I did, it stopped after one. The sheets were a dark, silky red, my hand smoothing over its surface. The comforter and pillow cases were red and black, propped up against the headboard.

Red came up behind me, wrapped his arms around my shoulders. He put his forehead to the back of my head, his breath coming out evenly. I shut my eyes and leaned back against him, the coolness of his zipper seeping through the thin fabric of my shirt. We stayed like that for a few minutes before he moved away, with me making a small noise of complaint in the back of my throat. He chuckled lowly, his voice like gravel before he pulled me back, lying me down on the bed and lying next to me.

His phalanges stroke through my hair, his eyes wandering curiously over the strands. He had turned onto his side and was propping his head up with his other hand. I watched him for a moment before the collar glinted off of the moonlight coming through the window. I reached up to touch it, running my finger over the point of one of the spikes protruding from it. He paused his movements, his eye lights looking down at my face.

“Why do you wear this?” I asked softly.

He seemed hesitant before he spoke, “back in my...au, i guess they're callin' it, papyrus wasn't exactly as sweet as th' one here. in fact, he was 'th' great an' terrible' papyrus.” At my scoff, he scowled. “'m serious, sweetheart. he wasn't the gentle one here. he killed any human on sight. there was no remorse.” He stopped for a moment before resuming. “this was somethin' that everybody know i wasn't ta be fucked with.”

The sadness in his voice broke my heart. His eye lights had dimmed slightly, and there were little red spots at the corners of his eyes. I reached up to stroke his cheek gently. My fingers brushed over the smooth bone. His eyes closed and a rumble sounded from deep within his chest. I wouldn't call it purring, but I wouldn't call it a growl. Something in the middle.

“i miss him,” he whispered quietly. His voice cracked on the last syllable.

“Oh, Red,” I sighed.

He perked up at that, his grin reforming, and his eye lights brightening again. His grin turned slightly feral, like the first day I met him. He came closer to me, slowly. I had no where to go, his grin forming a smirk. He got close enough to my face I could feel his breath fan my face. Again, there was that smell of smoke and mustard, mixed a little with the alcohol he'd had a while ago. Then there was that mild earthy scent that floated over the rest of the smells. I took in a breath.

“i like th' way ya say my name,” he whispered, his voice taking a new turn. “say it like that again, sweetheart.”

“I...I...”

“what's wrong, kitten?” he murmured, moving slightly so his mouth was right by my ear. “cat got ya tongue?”

What the fuck was going on?

The air in the room had changed. It was charged with something sexual, and I was completely out of my league here. My face was heating up quickly, before I went to move my hands to cover my face. He chuckled, his breath tickling my ear.

“ya've _cat_ to be kidding me,” he chuckled lowly. “ya act like yer a virgin.”

I made a small noise in the back of my throat. “ _whale_ , if we're being honest...I...”

The noise he made sounded strangled and he moved back, his eye light almost disappearing. He looked at me, with what looked like widened eye sockets.

Before he could make any kind of comment, I tried to redirect the conversation. “Tell me about you,” I mumbled through my hands.

He sighed, the sound sad as moved away from my ear. He moved, the bed moving up slowly as he moved to the end of the bed and grabbed the blanket. He covered us both, making sure I was snuggled and tucked in on the side he wasn't on. After that, he moved so his arm was around my waist once more.

We talked well into the night. I barely remember falling asleep. On the brink of oblivion, I felt Red's teeth against my hair, a gentle kiss on my temple.

“g'night, sweetheart,” I heard him murmur. “'ll see ya in th' mornin'.”


	6. Grotesque Breakfast

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Breakfast is a fail.  
> I get my skelepile.  
> And I find out a get a new room!?

The night was filled with restless sleep. Dreams repeated one after the other. They started off so sweet, with my skeletons being around me in quiet harmony, a little mini skelepile just for me. Then it would turn into something horrific, my dad at the forefront of everything. I woke up a few times that night, covered in a cold sweat. I looked over at Red, who was snoring softly beside me, still facing me. I would just touch his hand as I laid back down, holding on for dear life as I fell back asleep into another round.

By morning, I had a pounding headache and I felt uneasy. Red was still sleeping, his snoring a lot louder. I snuck out of bed, careful to avoid the squeaky floorboards under the carpet. I lifted the door and opened it slowly, careful to stop just before the creaking. I left the room, shutting the door again before making my way through the halls. The closer I got to the stairs, the louder the sounds of pots and pans became.

I made my way down the stairs, heading around the living room and into the dining room where little Blueberry was already up, setting the table. He had a little cart that had plates, cups and silverware on the top. Little napkins folded carefully were underneath that. Anytime he set a plate down and finished the setting, he'd place on of the napkins on the plate. He was concentrated; he didn't hear me come in, a glowing blue tongue poking from between his teeth.

“Morning, Blueberry.”

He was startled, swiveling his head in my direction with wide eyes filled with those literal blue stars. I gave him a smile as I moved further into the room, the air filling with something...interesting I would have to say. His frown turned into a grin.

“HUMAN, IT IS NICE TO SEE YOU AGAIN,” he declared. “WOULD YOU LIKE SOMETHING TO DRINK RIGHT NOW?”

Alcohol would be great.

I shook my head mentally before saying, “Coffee would be great.”

He made a gagging noise, which was impressive for someone who didn't have a throat of their own. I cracked a small laugh.

“THAT STUFF IS HORRIBLE FOR YOU,” he groaned. “BUT YES, THERE IS COFFEE. THE ORIGINAL SANS AND STRETCH DRINK THAT HORRIBLE STUFF.”

I sighed in relief and waved as I passed by him, heading for the kitchen. When I entered, it was like a tornado had come through the kitchen. Not to mention the smell of burning food and the smoke filling the air. I started coughing, putting my shirt up to my face to cover my nose and mouth as I waved my hand in front of my face.

Papyrus was in front of a literally flaming pot, humming to himself happily. My jaw dropped and I unconsciously sucked in a lungful of smoke. I started coughing louder, drawing Papyrus's attention to me. His wide eye sockets landed on me after a few moments of hunting through the smoke.

“HUMAN, WHAT ARE YOU DOING BEFORE THE BREAKFAST SPAGHETTI IS READY?” he asked, wiping his gloves on his frilly apron.

“I...” I had to pause to cough, the smoke burning my lungs. “I came in here for some coffee. Didn't realize you were trying to burn down the...the kitchen.”

He eye sockets lowered in a way that reminded me of a glare. I cracked a little smile behind my shirt.

“I AM NOT TRYING TO 'BURN DOWN THE KITCHEN',” he said. “THIS IS THE WAY I WAS TAUGHT TO MAKE SPAGHETTI.”

I was scared to ask, but...

“Who taught you?” I coughed.

“UNDYNE.”

Go figure.

I shook my head, heading for the cupboard and playing the guessing game for a few moments until I finally found a coffee cup. I grabbed it and filled it up, heading for the fridge and opening every window I could reach along the way. I grabbed out some creamer and doctored the shit out of the coffee with it and the sugar Blueberry brought to me.

He didn't seem the least bit bothered by the smoke in the air. But then again, he's a skeleton. They don't function the same way that humans do, what with the lack of muscle and tissue. Not to mention organs. It made me wonder how they ate food, but it never actually fell to the floor. I'd have to ask about that, too.

I walked out, the kitchen mostly clear by the time I went into the dining room. I was partially surprised to see Stretch and Sans already seated, their heads in their arms on the table. None of the other skeletons were awake yet, or they were and just hiding in their rooms.

As soon as I walked into the room, both of them perked up. Their heads raised off the table, arms still in place. They both grinned at me as I sat at the table across from Sans, putting my mug in front of me. They both looked at the cup and back at me before scrambling from their seats and heading for the kitchen.

I sighed and placed my head in my head, my elbow on the table. I took a sip of the hot deliciousness in front of me, feeling the first sip's heat move through my body. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn't shake the feeling of dread that spread through my body. Anytime I thought of those nightmares, my anxiety hit an all time high and I felt like I was choking on my emotions.

I can't think of a time in my life where my father had gone that far. Not even after everything had gone downhill. I remember times when he would yell and scream. Holler and rampage around the house. But never anything as bad as throwing things at another human being. But what hurt the worst was that he wasn't sad he did that. He wasn't remorseful or upset that he had done harm.

I took another sip from my mug as another sleepy skele slugged their way into the dining room. I looked over to see Ink, one hand dragging his paintbrush behind him and the other one rubbing one of his eye sockets. It reminded me of a little kid bringing their blanket to the table as they sat and ate breakfast. It was too cute.

“Morning,” I said softly.

His eye lights were those white pinpricks in his skull. When they looked up at me, he blinked at me. It took a minute and a half for him to realize I was there, sitting in his home. When the bulb finally clicked in his head, his eye lights changed into matching red hearts, hollowed out in the center. A huge grin came to his face before he paused.

Out of nowhere, he made a gagging noise as he spurted black liquid from his mouth everywhere. I stared in stunned horror as he wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. There was a heart still on one side, but there was a blue exclamation point in the other now, as though like a warning.

“sorry,” he grumbled. “i dunno why i do that. waste of magic.”

Before my own eyes, I watched as waved his hand over the spilled liquid, moving his fingers like he would a puppet. The liquid lifted, moving like a snaking up toward his palm. It seemed to absorb into his gloved palm, disappearing without leaving a single black streak on the floor.

“ink, again?”

G appeared behind him, his cream turtleneck still in place. Though it looked like a new one; if he had the old one on it would have been wrinkled to hell and back. His eye sockets were still squinting, the cracks expanding a little bit to accommodate the short sockets. He moved around the shorter skeleton and came up to me, pressing a kiss against my temple.

“mornin', angel,” he murmured before moving back.

I yawned before I could answer. When my mouth closed and I was able to blink away the tears from it, I saw he had a brow plate raised, his eyes roaming over me a moment before he gave an enigmatic smile.

“tired?” At my nod, he sighed. “i figured as much. you're stressed to your limits. no wonder they felt the need to do this.”

I didn't get to ask what he meant before he bent back over and pressed his mouth to mine. I squealed, letting go of the handle of my mug. My hands went to his shoulders as he moved me back a little bit, his kiss searing something inside of me. My soul lurched to life, thrumming happily at the attention he was giving.

When he let go, he was already in his seat before I could gather my bearings. I blinked a few times, Ink having sat in one of the seats beside mine. He looked patient, his smile still in place while G looked smug as hell.

I turned back in my seat as Stretch and Sans came back into the room, carrying steaming cups. They both paused at the scene. With me touching my lips with the tips of my fingers. G was leaned back against his seat, one arm resting over the back of the chair. Ink was pulling out a drawing pad and a pencil from his scarf before opening to a blank page and beginning to doodle. They simply shook their heads and went back to their seats.

As Papyrus was just announcing breakfast, Red came into the room, looking like he was getting restless. The second his eye lights landed on me, his body sagged forward a little, his feet bringing him to the chair on my other side. When he sat down, he leaned close and put his cheekbone on my shoulder.

“how're ya _feline_?” he asked playfully.

I choked on my coffee for a moment, a little spewing from my mouth. I avoided the questioning looks from the others as I wiped my mouth with my hand, turning to glare at him. He had raised his head, a shit eating smile on his face. My face reddened and I turned back as Papyrus placed a heaping pile of...something on my plate.

If I hadn't known better, I would not call this breakfast spaghetti. The noodles looked abolished, mixed with scrambled eggs and sausage. There were hints of potato chunks in it, all mixed with an interesting looking sauce. I picked up my fork and poked at it, moving it around my plate. The noodles literally made some strange noise when I separated two pieces from each other.

Oh boy.

“This looks...great, Papy,” I said, mustering all the enthusiasm I could.

He beamed with pride as he scooped some onto Stretch's plate, the pasta making a plopping noise when it hit the ceramic. I had to cover my mouth with my hand, fighting off a laugh as Stretch's brain registered what was in front of him. His face was that of utter disbelief, his eye lights looking over at Sans, who was also fighting off a laugh.

Sans had literal cyan tears in his eyes. His teeth had somehow moved over to cover his bottom lip as he fought off the laughter welling inside him. G looked equally disturbed, watching as the goop fell onto his plate as well. Ink was watching the plate in front of him as though it was going to come alive and eat him. Red's mouth was turned down in a frown, his gold tooth almost invisible as he poked like I had at the concoction in front of him with his fork.

Blueberry, however, looked curious. I watched, in dismay, as he took his fork and swirled the noodles around the prongs. I flinched at the noise is made, like it was being slurped up already. It was an absolute terrible noise. Then, my shock turned into nausea as I watched his mouth open and he ate it. I was waiting for that thing that happened in movies, with the faked out choking, grabbing the throat and therefore, dying.

But he didn't. He looked like he actually enjoyed what he was eating. I quietly gagged as Papyrus took a seat beside Sans.

“THIS IS STILL NOTHING COMPARED TO MY TACOS,” Blueberry decided. He shoved another mouthful in, chewing thoroughly before adding, “SOGGY NOODLES ARE NOTHING COMPARED TO MY SHELLS.”

“WE WILL SEE ABOUT THAT COME LUNCH THEN,” Papyrus shot back.

All the different Sans looked like they were going to vomit. Red looked past me at one of them while I chugged the last of my coffee. When he nodded he looked back at me, leaning down by my ear.

“is there a grillby's 'round here?” he grumbled to me, his breath fanning my face.

My cheeks reddened as I nodded to him. He grinned before pulling out a phone and typing something out quickly before he leaned back against me, his breath on my ear. His face was so close, I could feel his fangs scratching slightly against my ear. Oh boy.

“see that cat still got ya tongue,” he whispered throatily.

“You've gotta be _kitten_ me.” I ran a hand over my face as he moved away and patted my hand as though touching me was something he needed.

Or maybe it was something I needed, and he knew it.

When I looked at my plate again, the disaster that was “breakfast spaghetti” was gone. I looked around, noticing each of the skeleton's plates were empty. When I looked at Ink, he gave me a subtle wink. The relief was strong within me.

After breakfast, Blueberry and Papyrus gathered up all the dishes, heading into the kitchen still trying to one up each other. Everyone else gathered in the living room, sitting in random spots. When Stretch went to pass by me, he paused, looking down at me curiously. I looked up at him, tilting my head.

“What is it?” I asked.

He smiled, but he just shrugged and headed over to where Red and G were already sitting, cigarettes lit up and blowing out the window. I watched his back for a moment, his signature orange hoodie moving slightly as he sauntered over. I looked away and down at myself before I smacked my forehead with the palm of my hand.

“what is it?” Sans asked, looking over at me with concern.

“I...I, uh, I need a shower,” I muttered.

I had just realized I was still in the same clothes I had worn for the meeting yesterday. My shirt was crumpled like a paper ball and my jeans were all haphazard and twisted slightly by my waist. I hadn't even taken off my belt, which had come undone at some point, somehow. I didn't want to question Red in front of everyone about it. My suitcase was even still sitting by the arm of the couch I was sitting in.

“use mine for right now, baby,” Sans said. “i'm sure you've seen how the doors all are; you'll find my room easily that way. we'll wait for ya here, kiddo.”

“we're gonna talk about which room is gonna be yours and try to get you all set up,” Ink said happily, his fingers still moving over the sketchpad. He paused only to give me a smile. “we'll get ya all set up before the day is out.”

I smiled back him, relief evident. “Thank you. I'll be back soon.”

I reached over and unlocked my suitcase, grabbing a pair of sweatpants and a tank top. I grabbed a new pair of underwear and went without a bra. I grabbed my body wash, shampoo and conditioner. I grabbed a couple towels and my hairbrush. I gave them all a wave and zipped up the stairs, looking out for the cyan door. Or, at least I think it'd be cyan.

I didn't have to look long. Sans's room was right across from Papyrus's, which made sense. I opened up his room and my eyes nearly bugged out of my skull. His room was just like Edge's. Socks and garbage everywhere. Books even littered the ground at my feet. I took a look around and my eyes landed on...a trash tornado?

What the fuck was going on here?

I shook my head and went to the door that led to the bathroom. I shut the door quietly, heading for the shower and turning it on. Steam quickly filled the bathroom, warming the goosebumps off my skin. I shed my clothes and left them in a heap on the floor by the door, before grabbing my things and jumped in.

The water was hot. I let it stream over me for a moment before I started washing my hair. The suds from the shampoo fell down my shoulders as it washed out, running my hands through my hair to get all the knots out. I hissed as a few strands plucked out, mumbling to myself. I stopped halfway and put conditioner in, continuing with a little more ease.

As I unraveled the rat's nest, I couldn't help but think. G had wandered off last night, after I told them everything. I couldn't help but wonder where he had gone off to. But he obviously came back safe and sound and that made me feel better. Red had been so mad, the only way to make him feel better was to kiss me.

I paused, rinsed my hands and touched my lips again. They were smooth under my touch, still tingling a little after G's kiss. My face reddened at the thought of the night prior, being passed around like I had been between Red, Ink and Sans. Neither of them had minded much, except for Red. He was probably gonna start the most shit about it. But I'd come to that bridge when I crossed it.

I went back to washing up, making sure to put a little on my face before I stepped back under the still hot spray, putting my face under and scrubbing for a moment to get all the soap off. When I emerged, I stood in the tub still while I took in my appearance in the slightly foggy mirror.

My hair was soaking wet, going down my back in brown waves. My eyes looked almost shiny, like I was going to cry again over something. I could see a scar on the right side of my forehead where a kid had thrown a rock at me growing up. The band-aids had come off sometime in the night while I had been sleeping with Red. I could see the small lines from the ceramic saucer closing slowly, like someone had done magic on my arm. There was bruise on my shoulder from where Stretch had gripped my shoulder the previous night. I still didn't look at my body, but I took a glance anyway, disappointed where it was at.

I wasn't exactly fat. But I wasn't skinny either. I had been teased a lot in school before the whole monster thing happened about how I was on the heavier side. I was a little chubby, with a wider waist and hips. I ran my hands over them, feeling the bumps from the stretch marks under my hands. It made my heart ache, watching my body jiggle in almost every place.

I stepped out, rubbing my hair dry before wrapping it up in the towel. I ran my other over my body, drying off before throwing on my clothes. I looked at myself in the mirror, taking in the gray sweatpants I had worn when my dad first went to jail. The tank top had belonged to my mother before the baby weight had made the top too small for her to wear. I turned away from my reflection, grabbing my things and throwing the towel over the shower rod before heading out of the bathroom. I left his room and closed the door, heading back down the hallway and down the stairs.

The skeletons had turned on the TV to some old rerun of an old show. They were arguing over statistics over the show and its credibility as I went and sat back in my own seat. I settled into my spot and without missing a beat, they all came around me. G, sat on the edge of the arm I was by, still snapping at Red about something in the show they were arguing over. Sans had taken the other side, listening to their conversation. Ink was doodling, only stopping long enough to absently kiss my knee and settling in the spot in front of me and go back to it. Stretch sat next to him by my other leg, leaning back to rest his skull against my shin.

Red went to touch my hair and jumped back in shock when his metacarpals ran lightly over the towel on my head. His eye lights had shrunk and dimmed, watching the towel on my head like it was going to eat him. I snorted and looked behind me at him, my brow raised.

“Something wrong?”

“the fuck 's that on ya head fer?” he grumbled crankily.

“To dry my hair, you moron,” I laughed now. “God, you're supposed to be smart, Red.”

He growled angrily at me, his eye lights reforming to their original size and light. After feeling all of their own feelings yesterday in my soul, I knew he wasn't really angry at me. I just gave him a smile before turning back to the TV, my hands between my legs as I leaned against the worn cushions of the giant green couch.

About half an hour later, Ink finally put his pencil away and looked over at me. I had taken the towel off of my head and was letting my hair air dry for the first time in years. My curls were starting to pull up again, the ringlets tickling my back. He handed me his sketchbook, his eye lights a blue crescent and a red flower. I took it from him and gaped at the drawing in front of me.

There was a bedroom made up in it. There was a large bed in the room, pushed up against the center of the wall. There was a large dresser colored in in the corner of the room beside a closed door. A vanity table was set up beside a floor to ceiling window. The room was decorated in a way that I would be able to have plenty of room for floor space, room in my drawers and closet for my clothes.

“This is amazing,” I whispered. I ran my fingers carefully over the lead on paper.

“thanks,” he said sheepishly, part of his skull turning into an array of colors. “this is gonna be your room. it's located pretty much in the middle of where we all are. you'll have your own bathroom and you'll be able to go to any of us if you need to...hey, why're ya crying?”

I put my forearm over my face as tried to hold back the tears. I was sick of crying. But this was something I hadn't ever thought I would get. I had these guys, who were trying their best to make me happy after the prior night's events. My own bedroom and bathroom that they were willing to give me so I wouldn't have to go back. They were simply there for me in a way I hadn't had in years.

“sweetheart, are you okay?” I heard Red ask, his voice leaning over the couch.

“I'm...I'm fine,” I hiccuped, keeping my arm up as I bent my head down. “I'm sorry I'm such a-a crybaby.”

There was a hand on my head and I looked up and over at Sans. He had a soft smile on his face, his thumb stroking the bangs away from my forehead. His touch was gentle, smoothing over my skin in a way I didn't think bone actually could. When he spoke, his voice was smooth.

“listen, kid,” he said, “you're our soulmate. we're gonna be here for you no matter what. you're not a crybaby, ya're just open with ya emotions. nothin' wrong with that.”

“definitely more open than we are,” I heard Stretch mutter below me.

“I-I'm sorry,” I whispered, my arm lowered.

“don't worry, angel,” G said. He winked when I looked up at him. “we're gonna go out and get the stuff you need. ink, however, is gonna take ya to your room and let you paint it whatever, however you want.”

My heart felt light, my soul felt like it was soaring. They turned off the TV and disappeared, leaving colorful wisps of smoke in the air after them. I shook my head and looked over at Ink, who was practically vibrating with excitement. His knee was bouncing in place and his hands were wringing around themselves. If I didn't know any better, he seemed nervous.

“You okay, Ink?” I asked.

“fine, fine. I just...i'm not used to people?” he said, his voice cracking on the last note. “i mean...it's complicated.”

“Well, we have plenty of time to get to know each other, don't you think?” I leaned back against the couch, wiping my face with the back of my hands. “I've spent some time alone with Red and Sans. A little bit with Stretch, before he brought me here yesterday. But I haven't spent much time with you or G yet.”

As I talked, his skull was turning into an array of colors. Reds and oranges, purples and yellows. Greens and blues. They all swirled together to create some kind of rainbow that had magentas and lavenders, roses and bright oranges. It was absolutely entrancing to watch.

The others came back, like they were poofing back into existence. When they saw Ink's skull, Red and Stretch bust out laughing, holding their stomachs while Ink mumbled angrily, crossing his arms and pouting. I chuckled and placed my hand on his head, petting his skull.

He began to purr, his expression relaxing in to a slouch as I pet him. The others whined around me, causing me to laugh. Their eyes turned to me, their looks ranging from shock to amazement. But I didn't stop. It felt so good to laugh, not cry. I felt at peace once more in that moment.

“we'll be back, honey,” Stretch said, kissing my forehead. “we shouldn't be too long.”

“then we can all have one big cuddle session,” Sans agreed.

The others made mock gagging noises, including Ink who was still purring under my touch. I laughed again, silencing them before they each gave me small kisses on my forehead and temples. Then they were gone, leaving through the door like normal folks instead of vanishing into thin tendrils of smoke. I don't think I would ever get used to them.

Or maybe I would.

The thought was nice to think about.

Ink looked up at me, those red hearts in both of his eyes now as he watched me. I didn't pause my petting, enjoying the look that crossed his features. They were skeletons, but they weren't just expressionless piles of bones like you would see in a science room. They could show their anger and their joy the same way I did. It was amazing.

“well, flower,” he finally said after a few more minutes of petting, “why don't we go see your new room?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry if the chapter is horrible. I tried my best with it, after finding everything out. Things are a little tough right now and I'm trying to hold it together so ya'll get your updates.  
> Thank you for the condolences. It means a lot coming from ya'll.
> 
> Hope you enjoyed!
> 
> & Don't worry; I have something special planned for Stretch. (;


	7. New Room

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ink and I have plans for my room, and it's a surprise for the others.
> 
> Plus, I learn a little more about Ink and where he came from.
> 
> G isn't exactly happy.
> 
> And Stretch? Well...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thursday and Friday, if I finish chapter nine, I will not be posting just yet. I will be with my family Thursday night until Friday night. Funeral and viewings and such. I'm so sorry to make you all wait. It's just...a process...
> 
> Remember when I said I had plans for Stretch? Well...here ya go, my skeles!
> 
> Enjoy! <3

I followed Ink up the stairs, listening to him chatter about how he was planning on doing the doors for each skeleton. Blueberry and Papyrus didn't want the artist skeleton to touch their doors, preferring to use caution tape and stop signs for decoration. They each even had a cross bone and skull decoration on their door, almost in the exact same spot. It really astounded me how much they were really alike.

He pointed out his room, which was the only empty canvas so far. He'd been so focused on trying to get everyone else done that he hadn't had time to do his yet. He admitted, kinda sheepishly, that he didn't know what he wanted to do with it yet. We made our way through and I paused by the mural of the Underground, the detail absolutely spectacular. It reminded me of the only time I had ever gone down there.

I followed Ink another few feet and stopped at a plain white door. He opened the room that shared the plush carpet with the rest of the house. It was a large room with the windows right where Ink had drawn them. There were two separate doors on either side of the room, one of which was open. I went and peeked inside at the huge bathroom that was there, the white of the room brilliant enough to make me look away from it.

When I turned back to Ink, he was leaning against the door, his giant paintbrush in front of him. Though the bristles were covered in black ink, it wasn't leaving any kind of stain on the floor. His scarf was slightly billowed out around him, wrapping around and reaching his tiger striped shoes. He looked at ease, his eye lights his classic yellow flower and teal oval.

“whaddaya think?” he asked. “like it?”

“I love it!” I managed to utter. “This room is so big! At least twice the size of my other room.”

“glad to hear it,” he chirped before moving away from the door. He came further into the room, picking up his brush as he went. He held it horizontally in both hands, giving me a grin. “so, how do ya wanna paint it?”

I blinked at him, confused. “I can...we can...”

He nodded, giving me sly smile. I couldn't contain the squeal that escaped my throat. I looked around at the white walls and thought for a moment. Each of the skeletons had their own style for the door. Mostly lazy, like a few swipes of a brush before they decided it was time for a nap. An idea hit me then, and I looked at Ink.

“I have a _fantastic_ idea!”

**

For the next two hours, I watched Ink carefully move his brush in faint strokes. It was interesting watching him work. When he got to a part that stumped him, there was a colorful tongue that poked out from between his teeth. His strange eye lights had gone to white dots once more. He would occasionally look over at me as though to make sure I was there before he continued.

I sat on the floor, legs crossed and elbows on my knees. My chin rested in my hands, which were cupped to hold my face in place. I smiled as I watched him work, zapping from this wall to that, putting the smallest details into his work. It was like watching a famous artist get into their zone as they created their art. It was something you would never forget.

“almost done, flower,” he muttered absently.

“It's okay.” I paused for a moment before I asked,” Ink, what did you mean the other day? When they all decided they needed a nap beside me?”

He didn't falter in his movements. For a good five minutes, I thought he wasn't even going to answer me, or even heard me. He was so concentrated on his work, it wouldn't have surprised me either way. But after those five minutes, he spoke.

“i'm not from a timeline, or au like the others are,” he said slowly, his tongue poking out again for a moment. It paused him in what he was saying before he continued, “in fact, i don't know where i come from. i just...woke up one day. it was me and...one other...” He shook his head, as though trying to forget.

“So...it was like you just appeared into existence?” I asked, playing with the end of my hair.

“into a void i'm not sure i want to go back to,” he said. His brush moved, making a soft noise against the wall. “it was the color of old parchment. it was an empty space all around me with a single piece of paper. on that paper, there were pictures that were moving. all on their own.”

“Sounds lonely,” I murmured.

“it was,” he agreed lowly. “as time passed, the amount of papers around me grew. there were so many of the same people living in the same places. so many timelines under my fingers.”

Something clicked. “You watched them.”

He didn't ask me to specify. He knew what I was talking about. “all of 'em. i never drew them; they belonged to other people, and it was my job to protect those aus.” He stopped to look back at me, those white pinpricks dull. “i needed to, or else they would be destroyed.”

“What do you mean?”

“hey, angel.”

I screamed, looking behind me. G stood there, a toothpick in his mouth turning slowly. My heart hammered in my chest as he gave me a smug grin. He didn't look like he had heard what Ink and I had been talking about. But these skeletons were on a whole new level for me; I was still learning their tricks and things about them.

When I remembered my idea for my room, I stood up fast and pointed at him, then the door. “This is a surprise; you can't be in here yet!”

He scoffed. “i can't, but ink can? c'mon.”

“He's helping me, there's a difference,” I said. I moved over to him and grabbed his hand. I could feel a slight breeze from the hole in his palm when I tried tugging him.

He didn't budge. He just watched on in amusement as I tried moving him. Ink wasn't paying any attention. Our conversation forgotten, he went right back to work, his brush making those weird noises on the wall again. I tugged and pulled at G, growing gradually frustrated at him as he continued to stand there watching me. Seriously, how could I not move a _literal skeleton_?

After a good ten minutes, I finally gave up, letting go of his hand and huffing. I crossed my arms and turned away from him, heading for the door. I stopped by Ink and kissed his temple, earning me a purr from him. From there I left the room, heading down the hall. My stomach growled, my face heating up. I hadn't eaten breakfast, and my only sustenance had been the coffee I had chugged this morning.

Time to hunt for food.

G followed, much like I was hoping he would. He sauntered beside me, his hands in the pockets of his cropped leather coat. I caught a glimpse of red and looked at it from the corner of my eye. On a patch on his jacket, there was the dragon-dog hybrid head I had seen Stretch manifest just days prior. I looked at it, trying to decipher what it really was.

“gaster blaster,” G said suddenly. “it's a good weapon when ya got a lot of enemies coming at you.” He looked down at me.

I huffed and looked away, heading down the stairs and going for the kitchen. Smoke was billowing out from the archway again and I groaned, covering my face with my shirt while we walked. G shook his head and lowered the collar of my shirt.

“allow me, angel.”

He raised his hand, a green aura of magic highlighting the empty space in his palm. I watched as a green orb formed around me, moving to cover my body. There was nothing weird about it except for the strange humming I kept hearing. The magic around me was warm, as though it had captured some of the sunlight and kept it in the bubble with me. Though the magic he was using was green, his eye light was still lit up yellow. He still had his other eye light as well, just dimmed down as though to keep pace with the magic he was using.

We continued walking, the concentrated green magic following me as we entered the kitchen. Smoke filled the air once more. It was hard to see anything through it, the only light coming from the magic in his palm and around me. From the illumination, I caught sight of a blue bandanna moving through the thick fog. I made my way closer to see Blueberry on a step stool, stirring something black in a pan.

“'ey, little guy,” G said to him, causing him to turn his head. “what'cha cookin'?”

“WE ARE GOING TO HAVE TACOS FOR LUNCH. THIS TIMELINE'S PAPY AND I HAVE A BET GOING THAT MY TACOS ARE FAR MORE SUPERIOR THAN HIS SILLY SOGGY MESSES! MWEHEHEH,” he cackled, furiously stirring the blackened...whatever it was in the pan.

“NYEHEH, GOOD LUCK,” I heard Papyrus call back from somewhere in the midst of this disaster. “I ALREADY HAVE SANS THAT WILL AGREE THAT I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS, AM THE SUPERIOR ONE.”

I shook my head and went around, moving slowly as I opened the windows again. The smell of burning taco seasoning and meat was making my stomach churn. I knew instantly that if I went to grab a snack, it might upset Blueberry. Which in turn would upset Stretch. If I'm being honest, I don't know how either of them do this. Just the smoke and smell was making me lose my appetite.

G was beside me as I hurried out of the kitchen and away from the mess and their bickering. The glow from his hand faded, the little force field around me following suit. I took a look back and shook my head.

“You've gotta be kidding me.”

“ya wanna _taco_ 'bout it, angel?”

I looked up at him, shaking my head. “I think you need to _meat_ the others with everything. I thought you went with them?”

A guarded look crossed his features. His eyes narrowed, both lights white once more. The cracks in his skull slowly expanded out once more before he looked away from me, keeping his hands in his coat pocket. If it was one thing I was learning, it was that when they kept their hands in their pockets, they were clenching their hands. If they had skin, it would be so hard and tight, the knuckles would be white.

I jogged to catch up to him, my hand grabbing onto the smooth leather. He looked over his shoulder at me, his face expressionless. I held my ground, looking up at him with pleading eyes. Something was wrong. I knew something was. Now that I had calmed down and wasn't focused on helping Ink with my room or trying to breathe in the kitchen, my soul felt like it was twisting. Trying to bring itself out so it could soothe my soulmate.

He sighed and motioned with his head to the living room. I followed him in there, sitting in my usual spot beside the arm of the couch. He sat next to me, his knee touching mine as he put his shin on his opposite knee. He leaned back and spread his arms out across the top of the couch. He didn't look at me, staring at the ceiling as though trying to think of something to say.

“i did go out with 'em,” he finally sighed. “but i had to come back.”

“Why?” I asked, furrowing my brow slightly.

He seemed hesitant. Which was weird for these guys. “while we had been gathering everything for your room, we ran into your mother.” He cast a sidelong glance at me.

I could feel all the color drain from my face. As if on cue, the tears stung my eyes, blurring G's figure leaning on the couch. The image of her hiding behind my dad last night flashed through my head, like a flash of lightning in the sky. She had true fear in her eyes, true pain. Then when the three skeles showed up, horror.

It had stung.

His hand encased mine. “she was saying some pretty awful things. i had to leave before i did anything you wouldn't like.”

Part of me was relieved he thought of me. That he had left before he had done something stupid that could have jeopardized him. Jeopardized the race of monsters. It was the pacifist in me, drawing in deep breaths to keep me calm. The other part of me wished he had done something, even if it was as petty as scaring her off.

I was hurt, true. But there was a new emotion welling up inside of me I had grown accustomed to. Anger. The raw emotion ripped through me like a tornado. It tore through me like it was trying to swallow me whole.

“What did she say?” I whispered.

His hand tightened on mine. “angel, i...”

“What. Did. She. Say?” I ground out, gripping his hand back just as tight.

He sighed. “i don't think you should hear it. none of it was good. and if what sans said is true, then you don't need to hear it, or deal with it. not now.”

“What did Sans have to say?”

“That she acted like you were her only lifeline,” he said after a moment. “That she acted like you were the most precious gem in her life.”

How ironic.

I hung my head in defeat and loosened my hold on his hand. He simply held mine and we sat there like that for a while. The sound of running footsteps sounded and Ink appeared, covered head to toe in colorful paints. I looked up at him and smiled, but it faltered when I saw how serious his expression was. He looked like he had been panicking for a while.

The minute he saw me, he came over to me and wrapped me up in a hug, crushing me to him with a strength I wouldn't have associated with a skeleton. I buried my face into his scarf, taking in the scent of something strange. It like a mix of something minty, like a York peppermint patty. It inhaled deep, letting the scent calm me down.

G said nothing. He didn't even move. When the others finally showed up, they found us in a weird little pile. G was still sitting upright, his head leaned down with his eyes on me. Ink was on the other side, stroking the material of my sweatpants. I was lying across both of them, dozing in and out from the small petting and the exhaustion of the last twenty-four hours.

Stretch came over, sitting directly in front of me. I gave a tiny smile and placed a hand on his skull, running my fingers over the bone. He started purring a little, too. I chuckled as Red and Sans came up beside us, not one of them saying a word as we sat in a little pile.

This was how we spent the rest of the afternoon. Watching TV and cuddling up. On occasion, I would be moved so I could sit between another pair of skeletons, their hands grabbing some part of me that was in the safe zone. Red had tried to cop a feel before I struck his hand away without even looking. They didn't leave my side until it was time for dinner.

None of them ate; I didn't either. Papyrus and Blueberry seemed to get the atmosphere and kept quiet, giving me hugs before Stretch and Sans went to take them to bed. G and Red sat with me in the living room, Ink nowhere to be found. I leaned against G's side, my head on his humerus. Red held my hand loosely, sitting on his knee while we stared at the TV.

They came back down, both looking exhausted. Sans plopped on the opposite couch, Stretch headed over to the corner with all of the ashtrays. As everyone was settling, I felt the high pitch hum from the previous night when Ink had kissed me. I looked over and he had appeared, carrying numerous bags in his arms.

He moved around, handing a bag to each skeleton. He held out one to me, and the smell of burgers and fries hit me like a train. I snatched the bag from him, almost tearing it open. He didn't comment, just chuckled and took a seat beside Sans, who was already halfway through his burger. The living room was filled with sounds of wrappers being opened and bags crinkling. I tore into my fries first, noting the bag had come from none other than Grillby's.

Halfway through the meal, I looked over at Ink. “Is it done?”

I sounded like we were in the mafia or something.

He nodded, looking over at me with a blue triangle and an orange square. It clashed so bad it nearly threw me for a loop. He had the most pleased look on his face as he nodded once more and looked back at the TV. I was filled with excitement and squirmed in my seat beside my skeletons.

“what'cha so excited for, sweetheart?” Red muttered, chewing on a fry.

“You'll see,” I sang softly, earning looks from all the skeletons minus Ink. He only looked over and winked at me. I winked back.

We continued eating and watching the TV. But now the boys seemed to hurry, chewing and eating a little quicker than before. I held back a laugh as they each called out they were done mere seconds apart. I was slowly finishing my burger, watching them all fidget in their seats. Red and Stretch had followed G over to the smoker's corner, all of them staring me down. Sans and Ink were watching the TV still, but Sans' eye lights kept moving right back to me.

When I finally finished, I got up to throw my trash away before it simply...vanished. I rolled my eyes upward, all the skeles coming over and nearly bouncing with excitement on their feet. Hell, if I knew this was the kind of expectation to get from a surprise, I should do it more often. They might move more instead of being lazy bags of bones.

Theories.

I waved them along with my hand, heading for the stairs. They followed me up, the only noise creaking stairs. As we passed the sleeping skeletons in their rooms, Stretch and Sans peeped in on their respective brothers before following the rest of us, tiptoeing quietly away from their room. I led them down the hall, turning. I paused at the mural once more, looking over the snow and evergreens in Snowdin. The garbage heap that had made home in Waterfall. And the dormant volcano that had housed Hotland.

I continued on a little bit more until we reached my door. I opened it up and flipped the light switch, moving further into the room. The boys all followed behind, spanning out on either side of me. When they were all in the room, I took a look at each of them.

Their eye lights had all turned into different colored hearts. Sans had blue hearts floating in his sockets and Red had big red ones. G's and Stretch's were smaller in size, but orange and yellow hearts stayed the theme with them. I took a look around the room, impressed with how well Ink had really done on the room.

The walls were painted in swirling, blended colors, mostly the colors of their magic. Designs were also painted on the walls. There were designs for each of their names for me. There was a crown, a candy heart, a halo with small wings, different flowers, and a honey pot with spilled honey flowing from the top of it.

These designs were enlarged on the wall where my bed was, with a big heart in the direct center of it.

I looked around the room. I was curious to find there were no paint marks or any drippings on the carpet or the boarder. Ink had moved all the furniture and stuff into my room at some point with my suitcase lying on my bed, open. My jewelry box was already on the vanity table, it's black wood shining the light of the room.

“What do you guys think?” I asked sheepishly after the silence had become too much.

Red spoke first. “whose idea was this?”

“flower's,” Ink said. “she said she thought it was perfect; who was i to deny her?”

“this is...” G seemed at a loss for words. “this is amazing, angel.”

Heat crept over my face at the praise. The four skeleton's seemed awestruck at the designs on the wall. Stretch went further into the room, his fingers grazing over the honey pot that reminded me a lot of the one from Winnie the Pooh. I looked over at one of the walls and let out a snort, bringing the others' attention to it as well. On the far opposite wall from my bed and two night stands, there was a couple more designs. A red scarf and blue bandanna intertwined around each other, stretching across the wall and ending in a pair of red mittens and blue gloves.

Stretch and Sans laughed softly while Red grunted.

“th' fuck is that fer?” he asked roughly, like he was choking back tears.

“If it wasn't for Papyrus, I would never have met Sans,” I whispered. “And Blueberry is such a kind hearted soul.”

They took that in for a moment before G sighed. He came over to me, leaning down while wrapping a long arm around my waist. He brought me flush against him, his pelvic bones against my stomach. The heat in my face grew as a smug grin came to his face.

“i'm going to bed, angel,” he whispered, bringing his face closer. “i'll see ya in the morning.”

He planted a firm kiss on my mouth, bending me back a little as he moved forward with me. I clutched onto his jacket, the smooth leather cool beneath my fingers. He brought me back as he pulled away, licking his upper lip with the tip of a yellow tongue. My eyes nearly bugged out of my head as I saw it. But he winked before he moved around us and left.

Sans seemed to agree with him, giving me a brief kiss before vanishing himself. Ink and Red did the same, Red nipping my lower lip with his fang. I let out a sigh that he seemed to really enjoy, smacking the side of my ass with his hand. Before I could smack him, he was gone in a trace of red smoke. I growled low in my throat.

I heard a chuckle behind me and turned to find Stretch ambling over to me, his hands shoved in that single pocket. When he reached me, he did almost the exact same thing G did, except he took it one step further.

With a sly smile, he put both hands on my waist and lifted me. I squealed as my reflexes kicked in, my hands going to his shoulders and my legs wrapping around his pelvic bones. He lifted me a little higher so they were resting atop the bones, my knees settled over the arches perfectly. He moved us back, the bones moving against the back of my knees a little as he pushed my back against the wall. I sucked in a breath as his face came closer to my own.

“now that i have ya to myself,” he murmured, his breath fanning my face, “i think i should tell ya a few things, huh?”

My mouth parted slightly, my breath coming out in strange pants. The air around us changed, with our bodies as close as they were. He didn't move in to kiss me like the others did right off the bat. I could smell the cigarette smoke on him, and the sweet smell of honey on his breath. There was a scent that surrounded him too, like the forest after a long rain. Clean air, almost. Ironic, considering the smoke. My brain was short circuiting.

“T-tell me what?” I stammered out finally.

He chuckled low, the sound rasping against his bones. It sent a pleasant shiver up my spine. “i dunno how much sans told ya, honey. but i jus' wanna let'cha know that when monsters love...we _love_.” He pressed a tender kiss to the corner of my mouth. “we love _forever_.” Another kiss on the other side. “we love _eternally_.” His eye lights met my own eyes. “we love _hard_.”

He finally kissed me, his mouth pressing against mine in a way that stole my breath away. The force of his kiss had the back of my head hitting the wall, my back arching into him. A warmth radiated from him, warming me to the bone. If this wasn't such an intense moment, I would have laughed at my inner dialogue's sense of humor.

I finally felt at peace. There was a final click inside of me that completed a puzzle, settling within me and spreading through my body. My soul danced inside of my sternum, bouncing around like it was ready to come out and play with others.

He tasted sweet like honey. Something prodded my lower lip before he pulled away. When I finally opened my eyes, his eye sockets were lowered slightly, his eye lights exceptionally bright in the empty holes. He wore a satisfied smile on his face before placing his forehead on mine, sighing.

“that was nice,” he whispered.

“I'll say,” I murmured back cheekily.

He chuckled. He lowered me slowly to the ground, my back sliding along the wall. My shirt was lifted, my heated skin pressing against the cool material. I looked up at him, giving him a sleepy smile. He bent down, his phalanges stroking my cheek once more as he gave one last brief kiss. It was fleeting, like the kiss of a butterfly wing. I held back a whine of disappointment as he moved away, leaving my room through the door.

“see ya tomorrow, honey,” he said before he departed.

I turned out the light and went to the bed, sinking into the cloud-like mattress. I groaned softly in the back of my throat, pulling up the new comforter they'd gotten me. It was soft and cool. I curled up underneath it, laying on my side and looked out at the night sky.

Things were getting interesting.


	8. Nightmares

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sans has a nightmare that has some pretty long term effects on me.

I had managed to fall asleep at some point in the night. My dreams were filled with silly skeletons and horrible puns. I didn't know what time it was when I woke up; I didn't even know why I woke up. Something was wrong. I could feel it in my very being that something wasn't right. I awoke slowly from my sleep and, after a moment, heard screaming.

It took me a moment to realize it was one of my soulmates. I shot up from the bed, fully alert and awake. I threw the covers back, stumbling around for a moment while I grabbed something from my suitcase to cover up. I left my room, stumbling through the dark hallway. I felt like I was frantically molesting the wall with how I was acting.

I followed the sounds, the others poking their heads out from their rooms. G, Stretch, Ink, Red...that means it was Sans. I paused at his door, the screams of pain and horror breaking me apart. I touched the handle to his door, hesitating for a moment. I looked behind me and the other four nodded at me, agreeing that I should go in.

I took in a breath and pushed open the door slowly, the creaking quiet and scarce as I entered the dark room. Moonlight poured in through the windows, illuminating the room before me. It was still messy, socks littering the floor. The wrappers from before had been mostly swept up by the strange tornado still in the corner of the room. The screaming was louder, intensifying as I closed the door behind me with a soft click.

I looked over to the bed and felt my heart cracking. Sans was tossing and turning, the blanket having been kicked off the bed entirely. It lay abandoned in a heap on the floor, while he continued to thrash and cry out in pain. I couldn't catch what he was saying at first, his voice such a low timbre compared to his brother.

Then I caught what he was screaming.

“no, no! nonononononono! papyrus, answer me!” he cried, his fists smashing the bed. “papy, _answer me_!”

He was having a nightmare about his brother. I slowly walked over to him, keeping my steps light so I didn't startle him awake. He continued screaming his denials, the pain in his voice unbearable to my ears. When I came close enough to the bed, I slowly reached out my hand...

He shot up then, his left eye light gone and his right replaced by his magic. It leaked out of the side like Edge's had the night prior. His head swiveled to me and I could tell he wasn't seeing me, he was seeing someone else. I froze mid movement, my eyes widened. He was panting. His jacket was gone, and his hands were buried in the sheets, covered in that blue glow.

**“y o u d i r t y b r o t h e r k i l l e r.”**

My eyes watered, but I tried not to let it affect me. He was still in that state where he thought he was still in his dream, but he was awake enough to physically move. The octave of his voice had changed into something more primal, deeper and bassy. My hand shook in the space between us as he watched me with such malice I felt like I was retreating into myself.

I had to help him, but I didn't know how.

“I...I'm not...I didn't...”

**“s h u t u p.”**

I winced, but held my ground. I had to reach him somehow. I wasn't sure what to do right now; he was scaring the fuck out of me. A quick glance on his nightstand showed that it was three in the morning; we'd all been asleep for a few hours now. I looked at him again, the magic still leaking from his socket.

“Sans, it's me. It's Jewel,” I whispered soothingly.

He didn't move, but the magic faded stopped leaking as much. I took it as a sign of encouragement. I took a small step forward, small enough he wouldn't notice. He didn't, keeping those sockets trained on my face. My hand was a little closer now. If I could come up something, anything, I could move quick enough to grab him...for anything. A hug, a kiss, something to break the hold of the dream.

When he spoke, his voice had returned to normal. “there is no jewel.”

I'd expected to feel something horrible, but my soul knew there was something wrong with him. If I could just...

“I'm Jewel,” I said softly. “I'm your soulmate. You're not Underground anymore. Take a moment to think about your surroundings.”

He paused, his whole body going still. I don't know how long we stayed like this, but my arm was growing tired from staying in the air like this. I was afraid any sudden movements would set him off again. Slowly, the magic from his eye began to fade and the dull light for his eye was coming back. I slowly made my way to him, sitting on the edge of the bed and brought my hand to his cheek. He looked at me, both normal eye lights in his sockets now. Though dull, tears leaked down his cheeks, almost the same cyan color as Blueberry's. They left stains on his skull from the excess magic.

“jewel?” he whispered.

“I'm here, baby,” I murmured, stroking his cheek with my thumb. “I'm here.”

I wasn't expecting it. He threw himself on me, burying his face in my neck. The tangy smell of ketchup filled my nostrils. I put my cheek on his skull as his body shook under me, his bones rattling. He took in a deep shuddering breath, releasing a sob.

“'m sorry, kiddo,” he whispered. “i'm sorry, princess.”

“It's okay.”

We stayed like that the rest of the night, him cuddled up to me while I whispered to him. We adjusted so I was leaning against the headboard and his head was pressed against the top of my breast, listening to the steady rhythm of my heart. He had calmed down at some point, whimpering and groaning in his sleep. But the minute I whispered to him, it would stop, and his body would loosen once more.

When I looked out the window again, I could see the sun peeking over the mountains. The bright yellow hue of the sky reflected on gray clouds, sending an overcast into the room. It highlighted on Sans and I took a moment to study him.

One thing I'd noticed about all of them was that their bones weren't the same shade of white that humans' were. They were some kind of off white pearl color, just the bones didn't glint in the light. Their bones were shaped the same way, but I had noted with the shorter skeletons, they seemed...stockier. Like, if they were human, they'd be on the chubby side like me.

I didn't mind that, though. It was something I looked forward to exploring in the future. The possibilities were endless when it came to these guys, and I couldn't wait to take that adventure into my own hands.

I rested my cheek on Sans's skull, humming softly in complacency. He didn't move much, just shifted his shoulder so it wasn't digging into me. He had an arm wrapped around my stomach loosely, his other one tucked beneath him as he snored away. Frankly, I was waiting for a snot bubble to appear from his blue magic and retract and expand on each breath.

I shut my eyes and listened to his breathing as I slowly slipped into a dreamless sleep.

**

I was startled awake when something seemed to slither over my head. I let out a disgruntled noise, trying to swat whatever it was away from me as I snuggled deeper into the covers. But they just kept going, giggles sounding off behind me. I groaned and tried tugging the blanket over my eyes.

But there was no blanket. I tugged on something fluffy and cracked open an eye slowly to see Red grinning down at me. With the lack of light, the only way to tell it was him was his clothes and fangs. I didn't even move; I just closed my eyes and turned away.

Only to be met with more bone.

I let out a croaky whine, swatting still at the thing moving through my hair. I heard a couple of chuckles and continued making strange noises. It was seriously way too early for this.

“c'mon, angel, it's time to get up,” I heard G murmured beside my ear.

“yeah, 'ts almost two in th' afternoon,” Red chided playfully.

I shot up from my sleep then. Only, I didn't realize how close Red had gotten. The loud thunk that sounded echoed in the room we were in. I knew I had a hard head, but it was nothing compared to pure bone. I cried out and moved back again, holding both of my hands on my forehead. My teeth were grit and tears stung my eyes.

“ah, fuck, sweetheart, 'm sorry!” I heard Red's clothes rustle as he scrambled closer to me, careful to take my hands tenderly.

He moved my hands and I was assailed with the smell of smoke and mustard. It was beginning to become a comforting scent, when it came to him, and I took in a deep breath. The pounding of my heart slowed as he cupped my cheeks in his hands, tilting my head up toward the light. His eye sockets lowered in a glare.

“damn, sweetheart, ya got a bump on ya head,” he grumbled. He moved my head back down and closer, pressing his fangs against my forehead in a gentle kiss. “'m sorry.”

“It's okay,” I croaked. “What happened?”

“yer soul was tired,” Stretch's voice came from somewhere below me. I looked down and saw him sprawled out on the floor, looking up at me. “after sans's...episode, ya stayed up with him, right?” I nodded. “yer soul was using all its strength to keep his calm. plus, i'm sure he said some things that stung.”

_**“y o u d i r t y b r o t h e r k i l l e r.”**_

_“there is no jewel.”_

Remembering those, my chest ached. I rubbed a hand over it, grimacing. I knew in my head he had been dreaming, and that he meant none of what he'd said. But there was a part of me that knew he had been seeing someone else. He had seen them instead of me, holding out their hand. And it was like I hadn't even existed.

“Yeah, pretty much.” My voice was low.

“your soul put in a lot of work last night,” G said now, behind me. I turned as much as I could, pulling away from Red. “it was tired, you were tired. it needed its rest. so you passed out for a day.”

Everything froze. “A day?”

“that's what happens, angel,” G continued. “the soul, be it a monster or human one, is very delicate. the more trauma one had been through, the darker the soul. also, the more trauma, the more that person will need to recuperate once the trauma is over.”

I rubbed my forehead, a sigh escaping my lips. I took a look around me and realized we were in my room, everyone gathered on or by my bed. Sans was missing, and Ink wasn't around either. It was just G, Stretch and Red with me. Red was on my left in front of me and G behind me to my right. Stretch was in front of me, lying the floor. One of his legs was bent up and the other one lying out in front of him, his arms behind his head.

I rubbed my eyes. “Christ. Where are Sans and Ink?”

“ink is off doing...ink things,” Red said, scratching the side of his cranium. “sans left for a while, said he had to go do something.”

“might've gone to see cha...frisk,” Stretch offered, catching himself on what he was saying.

There was a hand on my head and I looked over at G. Though he was smiling, there was worry etched clearly on his face. I wanted to give him a smile, let him know I was okay. But I couldn't bring myself to do it. I was so groggy, I could barely tell left from right.

Something dinged in the quiet and Red muttered a curse, pulling out his phone and checking. After a few taps and more grumbling, he moved off my bed and stood, raising his arms above his head in a stretch. When he lowered his arms, he leaned over, hands on the bed and placed a kiss on my lips. It was brief, and he moved away too soon.

“ink needs ashtray and i for a bit,” he said. “we'll be back later.”

Stretch nodded and stood, checking his own phone before rolling his eyes. Both of them dissipated, leaving behind traces of smoke. I shook my head and turned so I was facing G. He was sprawled out on my bed, much like Stretch had been on my floor. Only both his legs were out, crossed at the ankles. His arms were behind his head.

“what is it, angel?” he asked, raising a brow plate.

I couldn't put my fingers on it, but up close, he reminded me of a taller Sans. The skull shape was the same, and the crack that ran from the top of his head to the top of his left eye, was split in two and connected to form a single line. I wanted to ask how, but I didn't want to scare him off. Not yet, anyway. I moved closer to him.

“Nothing,” I sighed, laying back down on my bed. I threw an arm over my eyes. “I slept too much. I'm exhausted.”

There was a rustle and I felt the bed moving. Cold air hit my side for a moment before there was pressure on top of me and beside my head. I was afraid to move my arm, but I slowly pulled it away from my face.

I was greeted with a smirking G, his face hovering over mine. There was something different in the way he looked down at me, the side of his mouth twitching as he watched me wiggle underneath him. When I glanced down, I could feel a blush creeping over my face. He was straddling me, one leg on each side of my thighs, the suspender straps he wore swinging uselessly at his sides. He had his hands on each side of my head, his phalanges slightly curled into the pillow cases.

“W-what are you d-doing?” I managed to choke out.

“mm, i don't know yet,” he murmured, his voice dropping a couple octaves.”haven't figured that much out yet.”

I swallowed. His voice poured over me like sweet honey, dripping onto my ear drums bit by bit. There was a nervous lump in my throat I couldn't seem to get rid of. His voice was deep and smooth, charged with something new that I've only seemed to experience with these guys. It made my toes curl and my heart race.

“Then why are you on-on top of me?”

“so i could see you better,” he said, leaning closer. “plus...”

He kissed me, his teeth pressing against my lips. My eyes shut, the force of his kiss, bending my back. I arched into him. I went to move my hands around his neck when he grabbed both of my wrists, using one hand and pressing them back onto the pillows above me. I made an odd noise in the back of my throat, and that seemed to encourage him more.

His free hand was traveling down my side, hitching one of my legs up and over him to drape across his lower spine. He brought it back up after making sure I was going to leave it there. He wrapped his fingers around my hair and gave a soft tug. I gasped and he took that moment to slide his tongue in my mouth.

The magic that it was made from tingled against my own tongue. I made an odd mixture of a moan and a whine. His movements were precise, moving against my tongue and mouth. I clenched my hands together, trying to wriggle them free from his hold, but it was no use. He held my hands strong, but not enough to leave a mark.

There was something sweet in the kiss, almost like candy. Between that and the tingling magic, my body felt like it was on fire. I'm sure my face looked like a goddamn tomato right about now. Though the kiss was sweet, anything about the position I was in wasn't.

I'd had a few people flirt with me once we were out of school, when my fat turned into curves. But it was nothing compared to the way these skeletons simply just looked at me. There was always some kind of tense, sexual charge in the air, especially when G, Red or Stretch were around. Sans and Ink had the same feel, but more subdued.

G finally moved away from me, but just enough so I could see his face. His yellow tongue was dangling from his mouth, and he was panting just as hard as I was. His eye sockets had lowered. I could feel my soul practically trying to rip itself out of my sternum, begging to be free and get to his. I let out a small whine.

“i know, angel,” he panted, his forehead pressing against mine. “i know. but we-we can't. not just yet.”

“Why?” I practically whined.

“because the bond, the one that makes us all mates...it's still new.” He closed his eyes, taking a deep breath through his nose cavity. “and if it's one thing that i won't – that none of us will do – is do anything without your consent or say so.”

And there went my heart, puddling into a pool by my feet. I closed my eyes and let out a small puff of breath before opening my eyes again. G was smiling down at me, the original primal look of need gone. He used his free hand to stroke my cheeks, his bones cool on my cheeks. I leaned into the touch as he let my hands go. My leg dropped from his spine, and he moved.

He laid beside me, bringing me close to him. I wasn't sure what I was expecting since they didn't have hearts. But I heard a steady thrum from within him when I laid on his chest, keeping the cool leather of his jacket on my face. I listened to this thrum for a while, but it stayed the same tempo, the same tone. Curious, I looked up at him.

He was lazily moving his fingers through my hair. “that's my magic you're hearing,” he said without my asking. “as monsters, we're made of magic; we have other ways of sustaining ourselves. which is why there's monster food. it's why we turn to dust when we die.”

“What's so special about monster food?” I asked. “I heard Toriel talking about once during my classes in high school. Undyne mentioned it a few times, too, when I would hang out with her.”

He looked down at me, looking shocked. “ya hung out with her by yourself?”

“Well...yeah.”

“brave girl.”

I laughed. “Not gonna lie, I _trout_ she was gonna kill me a few times when her spear would land near me.”

He busted into laughter before saying, “monster food contains magic. just like how you guys live off your food, and it sustains your functioning, the same can be said for our food.”

I hummed in understanding. I ran my fingers over the material of his sweater. It felt like wool, but I didn't think it was that. It was soft and fluffy under my fingertips. His eyes had closed and he was purring now, letting me do my explorations in peace.

I trailed my hands over his ribs and he sucked in a sharp breath, one of his hands shooting up to grab mine. He held it there and opened his eyes, his eye lights shrunken. I thought I had made a bad move.

“i wouldn't do that if I were you, angel,” he said, his voice dropping again. “unless you wanna have a _really_ good time.”

My face heated and I yanked my hands back with a squeak. Note to self, don't touch their ribs like that unless you wanna have a really good time. Good to know. His arm moved back to wrap around me, his body heat enveloping me. I shut my eyes, my exhaustion hitting me like a blast of cold air in the face. G didn't move, just continued to stroke my hair.

“go to sleep, if you need to,” he whispered. “i'll be here, and the others will be, too. we'll protect ya. we'll make sure you're safe and sound, no matter the situation.”

I could feel myself slowly slipping into oblivion. But I fought it off a few moments longer. I wanted to know more about G. About what type of Sans he is and what kind of world he came from. But with the way my soul was now settling peacefully, and the exhaustion from trying to help Sans off his nightmare, I felt like I needed the rest.

I slowly slipped down, hearing G whispering small things to me. Small comforts that made me feel better about the situation I was in. I didn't want to sleep; I'd slept for a full day. But somewhere inside of me, I knew he was right. I didn't need to worry. If it wasn't him, one of the others would be here when I woke up to make sure I was okay.

They would wake me up when it was time for me to. When my soul and body had finally had their rest, I would be able to see my wonderful skeles again. And my last thought before I fell asleep was that it sounded like the absolute best thing in the world.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, there's that.
> 
> I have chapter nine completed, as well, working on chapter ten right now. But I won't be posting till chapter eleven starts getting written. But I'm giving this because, well, I like reading the comments. Ya'll are so sweet. <3
> 
> Hope you enjoyed! <3


	9. Date Night

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I learn more about Stretch.  
> After a bit of a...problem.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sick. Of course I'm sick. March just sucks this year. Lol.
> 
> Thank you for all the support and I hope you all continue to read this! I'm sorry about all the grammar mistakes. But I'll explain at the end of the chapter why.
> 
> Enjoy some Stretch/Jewel! <3

When I woke up again, night had fallen. I could see the half moon out the window, bringing in its silver light as I surveyed the room. A light hadn't been turned on and the clock on the stand read it was about ten at night. My phone's LED light was blinking different colors, and I went to reach for it when I remembered there was a skeleton cuddling me like I was a squishy teddy bear.

I looked over. True to his word, G wasn't there, but there was someone else. Ink was beside me, his paintbrush leaned up against the wall beside the night stand on his side. His scarf was lying folded neatly beside him. He was curled up in a little skeleton ball, his arms crossed over his chest. He looked like he was shivering, and there was the small sound of rattling. I moved, bringing the blanket up closer and over us.

He made a noise and his eyes opened slowly, white dots inside his empty sockets. His eyes half lidded, he blinked a couple times before he grunted and brought me closer to him, pulling the blankets over us and snuggling in further.

“dun' wanna,” he grumbled. “more sleep.”

“Ink, I've been asleep for almost thirty-six hours. I don't think I need anymore,” I yawned. “I need to go get some food. I'm starving.”

It wasn't a lie; my stomach was making some strange noises, growling at me. If I didn't get some food in me soon, it would soon reflect on my attitude, and these guys would think I'm crazy. But neither of us moved, choosing instead to stay with each other before Ink finally groaned.

“fine. lemme call one of the others.”

Ink pulled out his phone and I hid my face. When he turned it on, he made no noise. When I poked my head out from under the covers, he was already scrolling through the phone, tapping on it a couple times before he paused. When his phone dinged, he typed something out again and put the phone down, turning back to me and bringing me close.

“someone will be 'ere in a minute,” he mumbled into my neck. “wann' cuddle now.”

I snorted and brought my hand up, stroking his skull. He purred and nuzzled into my hand. Other than his semi quiet purring, the room was quiet. That was when my stomach decided to make some ungodly growling noise that sounded like three starving bears fighting for the last piece of game for the season. Ink yelled out, pushing himself away from me.

And landing with a loud thump on the floor.

When Stretch came into the room, the scene before him must have been something else. There was me, on the bed with my hands over my stomach, laughing so hard I had tears rolling down my face. Ink was lying on the floor, not having moved from where he landed. He was staring at the ceiling with a red exclamation point and a green square. His brush had fallen on top of his stomach.

“i'm not even going to ask,” he said, before opening the door further and coming into the room. “ya ready to eat, honey?”

“I-I-I think soooo!” The last word ended on a howl as I continued laughing. Ink sat up slowly, blankly looking around before he sighed sadly.

“that scared the shit outta me,” Ink grumbled unhappily. “what the hell was that?”

“My-my stomach,” I choked out, managing to calm myself down. “I haven't eaten in a day and a half. My body is dying.”

“well, we can't have that,” Stretch said, coming into the room. He leaned over me and kissed my forehead. “get showered and changed, honey. 'm takin' ya out tonight.”

I wiped my eyes with the back of my hands. “Just you tonight?”

“yeah, g and sans fell asleep early after leaving you. red wanted to go, but got called away by undyne for something.”

“How are they taking all the...the clones?” I asked as I stood up from the bed.

I didn't realize that after a day and a half of not using my legs, they'd be a little useless. I waved my arms as I fell back on the bed. Stretch smiled down at me while I sighed and tried once more, using the nightstand to help me stay standing.

“they're...confused, still. but they're takin' it in stride,” he said. He held out an arm and I took it. He led me over to my suitcase. “alphys has been trying to figure out what went wrong with the machine. so it's been hard on her and undyne. but undyne likes sparring with red from what i can tell.” He frowned as I bent down and dug through my stuff. “that all the clothes ya got, honey?”

I nodded, grabbing out a new change of clothes before standing up again. “Yeah, I didn't take much from home. Just some day clothes and pajamas I liked the most. Why?”

“we're takin' ya shopping,” he muttered as he led me to the bathroom.

He let me in and shut the door when I was inside. He stayed outside the door, and I watched, waiting for him to randomly pop back in and hoping for a peek. But it never came. I had believed what G said before I fell back asleep, but I didn't think it would be to this extent.

I took my shower quickly, scrubbing my hair dry with the towel before hoisting it over the shower rod to dry. I quickly dressed in a pair of holey jeans and my studded belt, double checking to make sure it was actually in place this time. I clasped my bra and hissed as the strap pressed down on the large hand print bruise on my shoulder. I put on my shirt, adjusting it so the moon on the front was sitting in the proper place; away from my boobs.

I ran a brush through my hair and decided that at some point, I was gonna have to start putting my stuff in here. I hated waiting for my hair to dry by itself.

When I came back out, I found Stretch and Ink folding my clothes and putting them on the bed in piles. There was a pile for my panties and bras, one for shirts and tanks, then one for my pants. And then the one for my pajamas. Quite honestly, they were sad sights. They were short piles and not much to look at. Ink started putting things away, using his magic to carry my clothes and put them into their own drawers.

Stretch was pulling out the other miscellaneous items like my pictures and belts. He placed them gently on the bed before looking up at me.

“ya really need to get more stuff for ya room, honey,” he grumbled, looking around the room.

“I know. Can we get food first; I'm hungry.”

As if agreeing with me, my stomach made a loud noise, gurgling. Both of the skeleboys stared at my stomach in horrific fascination. I chuckled and grabbed the coat that was dangling from Ink's magic, putting it on before pulling my hair out from behind the collar.

“alright, let's go then.” He looked to Ink and nodded. He nodded back.

“i'll see you later, flower,” Ink said, grabbing my arm softly before giving me a delicate kiss. I gave him a smile and followed Stretch out the door.

We made our way through the house, sneaking past Blueberry's and Papyrus's rooms before heading down the stairs. We headed to the door, where I paused to slide my feet into my sandals. We left the house, Stretch lighting up a cigarette as we made our way through the night.

We talked idly, his hands shoved in his pockets and me waving my hands around as I talked. My dad once said the reason I did that was the Irish in me; they always talked with their mouths and hands. It made sense to me; though my hair was brown, there were faint hints of red in it when the light hit it just right. Plus, there were numerous times I almost started a fight over accidentally hitting someone in the face with my hands as I talked.

Oops.

It was then I realized that though they were in a good neighborhood, they kept themselves distanced from people. I didn't want to say I blamed them, cause I didn't. But the further we walked, the more I noticed people. And the more strange looks I was getting.

I shrugged it off; everyone knew me. They knew whose daughter I was, so it must have looked odd that I was walking with a monster smoking a cigarette. Not a big deal. At least, not until I saw one of my dad's friends at the corner we were talking to.

I instinctively grabbed onto Stretch's hoodie, my knuckles going white. This didn't go unnoticed by him and he looked down at me, brow plate raised. I wouldn't look at him; I didn't even look up. As soon as I noticed him, I kept my head down. I had hoped the guy wouldn't know who I was, or that he would keep his mouth shut around Stretch. I didn't want anything to happen to either of them.

Okay, that was a lie. I was just worried about Stretch doing something stupid.

As we got closer, I could hear him talking on the phone with someone. I clenched the hoodie tighter under my fingers, my heart starting to race. It was beating so hard I thought I was going to get sick. All of a sudden, day and a half or not, I wasn't so hungry anymore.

“...yeah, and then he didn't – Jewel?”

_Shit._

I didn't say anything, just began walking faster. I was pulling Stretch with me, but he didn't seem to mind. I didn't want to imagine the look on the guy's face when he saw my hand on Stretch's hoodie. Quite honestly, I hoped he didn't see it. But he did.

“Jewel, is everything okay?”

I winced at his raspy voice. I didn't look up as we moved by him. I didn't want to deal with this right now. I didn't want to deal with anything right now.

His hand snagged my arm before we could move by him completely. I gave out a shallow cry, and tried to pull my arm back. But his grip tightened on me, holding me in place. 

“Why're you with this...thing?” my dad's friend demanded. After a moment's pause, he asked, “Why are you holding onto him like that?”

“get your hand off of her.”

Stretch's voice was quiet, but it was filled with a ferocious anger. I squeezed my eyes shut and I tried once more to pull my arm away. His grip was beginning to hurt.

“Excuse you, monster,” he snarled, “I'm talking to Jewel. Not you.”

“and I said to **g e t y o u r h a n d o f f o f h e r**.”

I winced as his voice dropped, his usual rasp something violent. It was like when Sans had talked to me, calling me a dirty brother killer. When he told my mom to shut up. When he asked my parents if they wanted to have a bad time. I shivered.

His hand released me and I yanked myself back and moved to hide behind the tall skele. I gripped the back of his orange hoodie, breathing in its sweet scent of honey and smoke. It eased the pounding in my chest as I buried my other fist into the hoodie. The material was soft under my fingers, and I gripped it like a lifeline.

I didn't peek back around, but heard my dad's friend – I'm pretty sure his name was Lucas – shuffling his feet. I heard the thrum of magic that I had heard from G, but instead of the steady tempo and tone, it was beginning to rise, as though he was getting ready to use his magic.

Lucas spoke first. “Just what are you doing with Jewel? Her dad's been lookin' for her.”

“i highly doubt that,” Stretch said lazily, shifting his weight. “he's the one who told her not to come back.”

There was a pause and Lucas let out a choked laugh. “You're telling me that he let her go off with you?”

“and four others, wise guy.”

He barked out the same kind of laugh my dad had; harsh and demeaning. “So she _is_ a monster fucker. How fucking pri–”

His words died on a strangled choke. I could hear the hum in the back of my head, threatening another headache. There was now an ethereal orange glow in front of me, casting out shadows behind us. Summoning my courage, I took a look around Stretch.

He hadn't done anything to Lucas, which was good. But Lucas was holding his throat and looking at my skeleton with wide eyes full of fear and anger. He was opening his mouth and closing it again like a fish out of water. I moved back behind Stretch when Lucas's eyes landed on me. His eyes were filled with betrayal and...hostility. I knew now that my dad had basically told me to never set foot over his door again, his friends and my mom's friends would make my life a living hell. I wouldn't be able to get my books for the book reviews and stuff that I needed, which meant I would be out of a job.

All because these assholes hated monsters for coming back. And I was the mate to not one, but five of them. I was now their worst enemy.

“Let's go, Stretch,” I whispered, tugging on his hoodie with my hands. “Let's go to Grillby's. I haven't seen the fire elemental in a while.”

Stretch nodded and the glow faded. I heard Lucas suck in a big breath as we moved past him, collapsing to his knees on the pavement. I didn't look at him, nor did I look back when he yelled out at me.

“Just remember, Jewel, this is _all your fault_!”

Stretch brought me around and lifted me up, his arm going under my knees. Neither of us said a word as I adjusted myself in his hold, and laid my head on his shoulder. All we needed was to be near each other. All I needed was Stretch in this moment.

“yer soul's dark,” he whispered. “ya okay?”

“I don't know.”

We didn't say anything as we walked into town. It could only be no later than quarter to eleven, and people were still out and milling around. It was the weekend, so I wasn't surprised when we passed by a few groups of people. They all watched as this monster, this giant six-foot something skeleton carried me in his arms. A lot of monsters looked at me warily, as if waiting for me to strike him down into a pile of dust. Humans were smiling and waving at me.

I didn't wave back.

We entered Grillby's and the smell of fresh fries and greasy food hit me. My stomach growled again and I sighed as Stretch put me on my feet. There were people and monsters looking at us. Some with curiosity, some with smiles. Even some with who seemed to be cooing at us like we were the cutest couple in town. I grabbed onto Stretch's hand and he led us through the throng of people, getting us seats up at the bar.

Grillby, the fire elemental himself, came over to us while wiping off a glass. I had learned that the sweet guy had a hard time with his human-talk. There was a distinct way he talked as an elemental, and only monsters understood him as such. But he tried his best when talking with his human clientele. Honestly, it didn't even look like he had a mouth. It was strange.

“Jewel, welcome back,” he said, his voice sounding like he was gurgling water. “How can I be of service tonight?”

“I just need a burger and fries, Grillby,” I said, giving him a smile. “Also, a Coke.”

His fiery eyebrow shot up. “Nothing for your parents today?”

I shook my head. “Long story. I don't wanna talk about it.”

He nodded in understanding. “I get it. I'm here if you need me, Jewel. And what about you, Stretch?”

I looked over at him, raising a quizzical eyebrow myself. “He knows about it?”

“almost all of the monsters do,” Stretch said. He looked at the elemental. “Just my usual, Grillby. Thanks.”

After a final nod and wave, he went off to holler to the cooks in the back. When he said it was for Stretch and I, there was a lot of banging around and yelling from the back as Grillby went back to bartending. He quickly brought out my pop and a thing of bottle of...honey for Stretch.

I watched as Stretch opened it, took a sniff before tilting it back and _drinking it_.

“What in the hell are you doing?” I laughed.

He looked over at me. “ya think this is weird. sans drinks ketchup. red drinks mustard. don't believe me, ask 'em yerself.”

I held up my hands in mock surrender. “I believe you.”

I put my hands back down and stuck my straw in my glass, taking a drink of my pop. It was cold and slid down my throat with the familiar small burn. I placed the cup further from the edge of the bar and looked around me. The atmosphere was friendly, easygoing. People laughed and clapped each other on the back. A group of girls was in the corner, giggling and clinking their glasses together. There was a card game going on in the far end of the bar with a group of dogs.

I looked back at Stretch. “So...I know about a couple of you guys. But not much about you. I noticed when you guys first...appeared here, you were about to call Undyne by Alphys. Why?”

He took another big chug of his honey before setting the bottle back down. He pulled out a pack of cigarettes and put one between his teeth gently, lighting it up. He blew out the smoke slowly, releasing it on a breath.

“in my...au,” he began, “things are swapped. switched. although i am papyrus in my own au, and blueberry is sans, the personalities were turned around. which is why i act more like sans, and blueberry acts more like papyrus.”

“Then...that means in your au, Undyne and Alphys also switched?” I asked.

Our food came, placed in front of us. The smell of the fries was killer, and I picked one up, hissing as it burnt the tips of my fingers. I didn't care, stuffed it in my mouth and chewed quickly, burning the roof of my mouth. Totally worth it.

Stretch chuckled, picking up a mini taco and stuffing the entire thing in his mouth. While he was chewing, there was the temptation to lift up his shirt and hoodie and see where the food went. I was too curious as to how it never fell out of their bodies.

“correct,” he said. “how...how much do you know of what happened in the underground in this au?”

“Not much,” I admitted, wiping my fingers on a napkin. “Papyrus told me some stuff, but there were a few things that weren't adding up.” I paused and looked over at him. “I take it that it wasn't always sunshine and rainbows down there, from what Sans was screaming.”

He shook his head. “just like those two switches, the king and queen also switched. so did grillby and muffett. and...so did the humans that fell into the underground.”

“I noticed you were going to say a different name a few hours ago,” I noted. “But you changed it back to Frisk before you completed what you were saying.”

He chuckled, but there was no humor in it. “let's just say it's a long story.”

“I'll say,” I muttered.

“talk to sans,” he suggested. “he might shed some light on the things you're missing out on here.”

I nodded and we continued eating. We spent the rest of the meal with him asking questions about my childhood and upbringing. I, in turn, asked how he could stomach burnt taco meat. He then told me stories about how Blueberry had one day found a bunch of craft items in Waterfall's dump and decided to experiment that way, too.

I will never look at glitter the same way ever again.

When the meal was over, Stretch paid Grillby, who I was trying to imagine wearing an apron making sweets. I couldn't do it, laughing until my sides hurt. Grillby only shook his head and came around the bar, giving me a hug. To this day, I was still surprised he had never burned me or burnt off the clothes I was wearing. My guess was he could control whom it happened to.

When we finally left, it was probably a little past midnight. I felt lighter, the events from earlier nothing more than a memory. I held his hand as we walked home, still talking about silly things. As we passed by some buildings, I pointed out what they were to him. He nodded along, watching every movement I made. There was a smile on his face as he twirled a toothpick between his teeth.

We made it home in time for Sans to come running to the door, hugging me and lifting me off the ground. I squealed, letting go of Stretch's hand and wrapping them around the shorter skeleton. He was still taller than me by a bit, and I had to wrap my useless legs around his waist. He buried his face into the crook of my neck. I could feel him shaking, hear his bones rattling underneath the hoodie he wore.

“i'm sorry,” he whispered.

“It's okay, baby,” I murmured. “I'm okay.”

It was almost the exact same thing I said to him just a couple nights ago. When he finally put me back down, Stretch leaned down to give me a brief kiss goodnight before vanishing in a wisp of orange smoke. Sans took my hand and led me over to the couch.

We sat down and I watched as he fiddled with his hands. I placed my hands on his and he looked up at me, a frown on his face. We said nothing and we sat like that for a while, just listening to the TV in the background and watching each other. It was something I think he needed more than I did.

He finally decided to call it a night and led me back up to my room. I yawned, heading to the bathroom with some pajamas to change. When I came back out, the covers were folded down and he was patting the spot beside him. Now that I could really look at the bed, it was big enough to fit at least three of them and myself in.

I went over and crawled in beside him. He tucked me under the blanket and laid on top of it, leaning on his side the same way Edge had that first night. Elbow on the pillow, head in that hand while he stared down at me.

I yawned again and sighed. “Sorry. I've been sleeping so much this past day...and yet I'm sill tired.”

“your soul has gone through a lot,” Sans said simply.

“I know.”

I waited a few beats. I could hear the crickets outside, chirping into the night air. It was a quiet neighborhood with mostly old, retired folk living here. But that was okay; I liked this a lot better. He played with my hair, wrapping his finger around the little curls at the end of my hair.

“Sans,” I murmured sleepily.

“hm?”

“What happened down there?” I asked, my eyes beginning to close. 

His hand froze before he sighed, the smell of ketchup and whiskey hitting me in the face. He went back to playing with my hair.

“i'll tell ya another time, princess,” he murmured. “tomorrow, maybe. right now, you need sleep. k?”

“Mkay,” I mumbled.

Before long, sleep overtook me, dragging me into sweet dreams featuring my skeletons.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The reason for all the mistakes, being as small as they are is because I write this out on OpenOffice before I go over things and post it here. Sometimes, I miss a few things because it's so close to how I want it worded or something, that I don't realize I moved past it till I already posted it on here.
> 
> Oops.
> 
> I apologize for any future things!


	10. Crafting Breakfast

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things are beginning back with my dad again.  
> Not to mention, it's time for a talk.

The next morning, I awoke to gray skies and a ringing phone. I could hear it vibrating on the wooden nightstand beside me. I groggily looked over at the clock and groaned. It was nine thirty in the morning. Who the fuck was calling me at nine thirty in the fucking morning?

I reached over for my phone, smacking every surface before I could finally grab the phone, trying to read the name through bleary eyes. I gave up after trying to rub the crud from my eyes and swiped the answer button, placing the phone to my ear and burying myself back under my blanket.

“who id thid?” I grumbled, partly into the pillow.

“J-Jewel?”

I blinked, clearing my throat. “Alphys?”

“Y-yes, it's me. Were you s-s-sleeping? I'm sorry, I-I can call back.”

I smiled, sitting up. My blanket pooled at my waist, cool air blasting me from all directions. I glared and looked around, looking for the vent in my room. Alphys was a good monster, just really timid. Unless we were discussing something she enjoyed immensely, she usually stuttered through her words.

“You're fine, honey,” I said softly. “What did you need?”

“I-I was wondering if y-y-you had heard f-from Undyne?”

I opened my mouth to answer when a loud crash sounded from down the stairs. It took me two seconds to throw the covers off of me and run to the door. I threw that open and ran downstairs. Just as I hit the last step, a blue spear whizzed by my head and embedded itself into the wall. I froze with my foot midair as I watched bones covered in red magic fly by from the opposite direction. In that split second I noticed the end of them looked like they had been whittled into a point.

The spear faded and I went down that last step to see Undyne, wearing a sports bra and jogging pants, her auburn hair in its usual ponytail. She was grinning her fangs glinting off the morning light streaming in through the windows of the living room.

“TAKE THIS, LOSER!” she shouted, another spear materializing before throwing it.

I heard a laugh and placed it as Red's. The spear disappeared around a corner and I sighed, rubbing my forehead.

“Found her,” I grumbled into the phone. “Do you know where Sans's new house is?”

“Y-yes, I do,” she said, sighing herself. “T-thank you.”

She hung up and I pulled the phone away from my ear before clearing my throat. All movement seized and Undyne's eye flashed over to me. Her grin never left, but it became softer as she registered who it was. Red poked his head around the corner, little red dots of sweat formed on his skull. When he saw me, he came around the corner, the magic in his eye fading into its usual white. He had shed his hoodie and was wearing his red turtleneck still.

“hey, sweetheart,” he said, reaching out to hug me.

I held up a finger. “One second, love.” I turned over to Undyne and used that finger to point at her. “I just got a call from Alphys asking me where you were. What the fuck have you two been doing?”

She stood straight, hip popping out and using her hand to rub the back of her head. “We've been...sparring. All night. In different places.”

I brought my hand back to pinch the bridge of my nose. “So you choose the house as the next place to spar? With magic flying pointy bones and magical spears? With a human in the house?”

It took a moment for it to register, but when it did, she guffawed. “Since when did you live with these dorks?”

“Since a few days ago,” I said. “There was a falling out with my parents.”

Her face dropped. “Oh.”

“Yeah, oh.” I rolled my eyes at her and looked turned back to Red. “Now, as you were saying?”

He looked sheepish as he came forward and gave me a hug, pressing a soft kiss to my temple. I sighed against him and wrapped my arms around his neck, the collar poking me a little. When he backed up, I looked over at Undyne.

“Alphys is on her way. I would go meet her,” I said.

“Good idea. Catch ya later, losers!” she yelled out before she left, heading out through the door.

Papyrus came in from the dining room, hands on his hips and his frilly apron swaying. He looked pissed as he looked from the door to Red. Then he caught the couple holes in the walls from where bones or spears planted themselves from their missed targets. He glared at Red, who gave an awkward smile and a small wave.

“LOOK AT THE MESS YOU'VE CAUSED,” Papyrus admonished. “NOW I'LL HAVE TO CLEAN IT UP AND FIX IT. WE'VE BEEN HERE NO MORE THAN A WEEK AND YOU'VE ALREADY PUT HOLES IN THE WALLS.”

“sorry, paps,” he said, shrugging.

“AND JEWEL HAD A GOOD POINT,” he continued. “WHAT IF SHE HAD COME DOWN EARLIER AND SOMETHING HAD...HAD...”

The pain that was lacing his voice was nothing compared to the terror that was on Red's face. His eye lights shrunk and there were red tears that were forming at the corners of his eye sockets. His head snapped to me so fast I thought he had given himself whiplash. Did they even get whiplash?

“sweetheart, 'm...”

“It's alright. It didn't happen.” I looked over at Papyrus then back at him. “Just no more sparring in the house, okay?”

He nodded in agreement as there was a creaking behind us. The other skeletons had gathered at the top of the stairs, none of them looking happy. Each of them had varying expressions of anger, but out of all of them, Sans looked absolutely livid.

His eye sockets were empty as he stared down at us, the grin still in place. His head was tilted slightly and he seemed to surveying the damage caused by the two sparring so early in the morning. He was the first to come downstairs, his eye lights slowly returning as he watched me, checking me for any cuts.

“I'm okay,” I sighed.

I've been saying this way too much.

He seemed back to normal when he stopped in front of me, the others moving by him to go into the dining room for whatever disaster was cooked up this morning. Red slowly inched his way by and then booked ass into the other room, the sound of a chair skidding across the wood floor distinct to my ears. I rolled my eyes.

“We'll talk later, princess,” he said softly, his hand coming up to caress my cheek. “First, we're gonna eat, then we'll head to the library to talk about...what you asked me.”

“Okay.”

We headed into the dining room. Red was fixing his chair and putting it back into place as I took my seat between him and Ink. He sat down as Sans sat in his spot across from me beside Stretch. I placed my phone on the table and turned it on, scrolling through all the notifications. There were a few texts from my parents, some from Undyne and Alphys. I saw there were a few missed calls and a voicemail, but I didn't want to think about who it could have been.

I left that alone and swept my finger right, getting it off my screen.

Blueberry came out, holding plates of...disaster in his hands and on his forearms. Papyrus followed him rather unhappily. They set down plates in front of everyone, and I felt immensely grateful that Stretch had told me about the arts and crafts thing the night before.

The...tacos set before me were...pretty. To say the least, I guess. There was the taco shell, which looked like it had been rolled around in pink paint. The meat and toppings were coated in glitter. It shined more than the sun did outside a window, and that was saying a lot. Blueberry seemed proud of himself as he flourished his creation to all of the others. And none of them, except Stretch, looked very hungry anymore.

Stretch was grinning, but it looked strained. When no one made a comment about the food, he seemed to relax a little, and it warmed my heart. Like Sans and Papyrus, Stretch was very protective over Blueberry. But I guess that made sense; in their timeline, they were reversed. So it would be the same way there as it is here, just different roles.

I poked at it and looked at my finger. None of the pink came off, so I guess that was a good start. Blueberry finally sat down and rubbed his gloves together before picking the concoction up and taking a bite of it. I watched as pieces of glitter rained down onto the plate like confetti. The only thing that was running through my mind was the mess we'd have to clean up for months because of the craft herpes that was now going to litter the house.

Papyrus seemed disappointed he didn't get to make his breakfast spaghetti as he moved the taco around on his plate. He finally picked it up and took a bite. More glitter rained down and...I was afraid to know if that was glue or sour cream. My guess would have to be the former answer. I gently nudged the plate away.

I didn't have to push it far. It disappeared in a trail of thin yellow smoke. I glanced over at G, who gave me a wink and made a gagging face when Papyrus's back was turned. I watched, in turn, as everyone watched the gentle giant skele take a bite of this...horror show.

“THIS IS OKAY,” Papyrus decided after chewing for a moment. “THE CRAFTS MAKE IT WORSE THAN IT ALREADY IS.”

Sans snorted and Stretch face palmed himself. Papyrus didn't back down from his decision, and looked at Blueberry. We all did. I thought I'd see him about to cry, but he looked like he was ready to fight Papyrus. And as much as I'd love to see that, I really doubt it would ever happen. If what Stretch told me was right, that means even little, feisty Blueberry couldn't raise his bones to another soul.

They began their bickering match once more. The rest of us made stupid excuses and fled from the dining room as things between to the two of them began to heat up. I simply followed my soulmates out of the room and into the next.

“'m hungry,” Red grumbled. “i'm thinking breakfast at grillby's.”

“It's always Grillby with you guys,” I snorted. “No wonder he gave me an apology last night.”

“an apology for what?”

“That I not only have one lazybones, but five of them as soulmates.”

“it's true,” Stretch agreed. “i heard him say it.”

They all guffawed. Red smirked and disappeared, the little wisp of red smoke snaking toward me. I growled at him, batting it away with my hand as the boys went to their spots in the living room. I sat beside Stretch and G, both of them throwing their legs over mine. Ink and Sans were nowhere to be found as I looked around the living room. In fact, I don't think either of them even left the dining room. 

Grunting, I went to push their legs off to go find them, but neither of them budged. Instead, they drew closer, mimicking each other as they rested their elbows on their patellas and placed their chins in the palm of their hands. Both of my hands were wrapped around their tibias through their pant legs. My eyes widened as I gazed at one and then the other, but neither made a move toward me.

Their sockets were lowered and sly smiles on their faces. I looked between the two of them, eventually just moving my eyes instead of my entire head. If I had kept that up, I would end up giving myself whiplash.

“so now that ya've had a kiss from each of us...” G started, tilting his head.

“we wanted to know who you thought was better?” Stretch finished for him.

My mouth gaped opened slightly. They wanted me to literally rate how each of them were? What was I doing, reliving my fifth grade year? I guffawed much like they had earlier and continued trying to shove their legs off of me, keeping my grip on their tibias.

“You guys have to be kidding me here,” I groaned when I couldn't move them. “What are you, five?”

“no, not babybones anymore,” Stretch murmured, leaning in close enough to blow a soft breath on my ear.

“definitely not that,” G agreed, leaning in just like Stretch.

My face was heating up and I kept my eyes forward, grabbing my hands back from their legs. But they didn't get very far. Each of them grabbed a hand and brought it to their mouths, their teeth gently touching the backs of my hands. They were light as butterflies, caressing the back of my fingertips. I felt like my face was on fire.

Within a split second, I was leaned back against the couch with each of them hovering over me. One with Sans's face and the other with Papyrus's, but they weren't. They were G and Stretch. They were the skeletons I was going to have to look out for the most, along with Red.

“yer so much fun,” Stretch murmured, his head dipping toward my clavicle.

“and your expressions are amusing,” G breathed.

I felt a slight tingle and wetness and gasped. Stretch's tongue moved up my neck, pausing just below my ear. His teeth nipped my lobe and I bit my lip. A noise was bubbling up in the back of my throat, and I tried to clamp it down. G's face seemed content, as if just watching me trying to fight off everything I was feeling was amusing to him. If I wasn't already feeling so much, I would have stuck my tongue out at him.

He finally leaned in and paused at my clavicle, just as Stretch had. I could feel Stretch move down and both of them smirk against my neck. I tried to move any part of me, but they had effectively pinned me against the cushions of the couch.

I could feel their tongues, the magic tingling against my skin, as they moved them up my neck at the same time. I opened my mouth to squeal, but one of them slapped a hand over my mouth, somehow effectively cutting off any noise. They both stopped at my earlobes and nipped them, breathing out in little laughs.

When Red poofed back into the room, Stretch and G were already by the smoker's corner, chuckling to themselves and smoking, grins on their faces. I was curled up on the couch with a bright red face and wide eyes, staring at the floor wondering what the hell I had just endured.

Sans and Ink walked into the room as Red handed out the bags of greasy food. I snagged mine and tore it open, bringing out one of Grillby's waffle fries. He only ever did it for breakfast. I chomped down on a few, humming to myself as I swung my legs back and forth. Ink and Sans took either side of me and ate their food as well.

One of them had turned on the TV at some point, and I looked up to see the news channel. What I saw, though, made my heart sink to my knees. I dropped my food back in my bag, catching the attention of the others as well.

“what is it, flower?” Ink asked.

I could only point.

 

_“Today, news has spread that there may have been a spy within the workings of the Anti Monster Movement. I'm here with Randall Crowe, the leader of the AMM, and his wife, Aria. I do notice, though, that Jewel is not present with you today. Where is your beloved daughter?”  
“She's decided to be the traitor! My daughter is a dirty skeleton f----”_

 

The TV was turned to a different channel, but every news station was playing the clip of my father losing his cool on live television. Calling me a dirty skeleton fucker and a whore. That I was giving all their plans to the monsters. At one point, the police had tried getting involved, but he managed to cool his jets before then.

It was now a widely known fact that I was “sleeping” with the skeletons. Seeing my parents on television like that had snapped something inside of me, and I could feel like I was about to retreat into myself. I put the bag of food aside and slowly moved myself to get off the couch.

None of them were having that.

All five skeletons surrounded me, gathering me close to them as they cooed and shushed me from making any protests. They smoothed the hair away from my face and gave me forehead kisses and everything. I felt like I was drowning in skeletons. And I was definitely okay with that development.

I wasn't even sleeping with them. I hadn't even thought about going that far with any of them. Not yet, at least. I couldn't think about something like that when I had so much left to do still. And they still had things to do and things to figure out. I'm sure the others were scared that something could bring them back and then what? Would they remember me?

“calm her down,” I heard one of them say. “she's starting to hyperventilate.”

One of them moved the others out of the way. I could see Sans in front of me, his fingers framing my face softly as he coaxed me to look at him. I didn't want to; I was afraid of what I would see. I didn't want to see the empty eye sockets again. Not when he was truly mad like he had been the night he, Red and Stretch got me. But when I looked up at him, I was met with the worried white lights that were moving back and forth between my own eyes.

“ya gotta slow ya breathing down, princess,” he was saying. He moved his thumb across my forehead, coming away wet with sweat. “gotta breathe. it'll be okay.”

“No, it won't,” I said quietly, my voice cracked. “He's on a warpath. Lucas must have told him what happened last night.”

Sans's eye lights moved over to look in the general direction of where Stretch was. I didn't hear the skeleton say anything, but there were a few words exchanged.

“i'm gonna take her to the library; told her we were gonna talk anyway.”

The others made noises in agreement and moved away. I clung onto Sans's hoodie, worried he'd leave me, too. He shook his head and came up beside me, tucking my head against his shoulder. He rubbed my hair and sighed.

“i know ya hate the shortcuts, but ya can't really walk...”

I took in a deep breath and closed my eyes, nodding. That feeling of weightlessness came over me. I felt like my organs were moving around inside of me and that my body was floating in zero gravity. Then it was over and I felt like my organs had dropped back into their original spots, completely unorganized and out of whack. I took in another breath, letting it out on a wheeze.

He gave me a few moments to collect myself while I opened my eyes and looked at my surroundings. I was floored at the scene before me. There were so many bookshelves in the room, which I knew only made sense for it to be a library. But what made it better than that was that all the shelves were filled, and there were even books laying out on tables and desks scattered through the room. Sunlight filtered through the room from a giant window that even had its own cushioned seat and couch pillows set up on it. We were on a couch and there were a couple of chairs pulled up close to a fireplace.

“Wow...”

“yeah, paps liked this room, too,” Sans murmured.

He moved me so I was off his lap, settling me beside him and curling up. I brought myself closer to him, as though it was the mere touch of him I needed. If anything, I needed to hear his voice, I needed any part of him I could get to. I gripped his hoodie underneath my fingers.

“gimme two seconds, buddy,” he murmured against my hair.

He disappeared, causing me to lean forward like I was going to face plant into the couch. He reappeared before that happened, throwing a fleece blanket over my shoulders and wrapping an arm around me over it. I sighed.

“What...what happened down there, Sans?” I whispered. “I've heard odd mutterings from the others, but none of them had a nightmare like that.”

“the nightmare was something else entirely.” He shivered. “i'd really rather not discuss that. instead, i'm gonna tell you about the underground.”

He shifted so he could lift his shirt for a moment. I looked down and my eyes widened, tears springing to my eyes. Across his ribs was a faded scar, starting at the top left and ending at the bottom right rib. I reached out a shaky hand and ran the tips of my fingers over it. His bones rattled for a moment before he took my hand away and moved his shirt down once more.

“we all have one of these. even blueberry.” He looked toward the fireplace. “the thing is, things weren't as easy as i wish i could say they were, princess.”

“What do you mean? I mean, you got out, right?” The look on his face was making my heart clench and my soul ache.

“again, not that easy,” he said, his voice cracking. “in order to break the barrier to get out, we had to have seven human souls. seven different traits in order to come back to the surface.”

It was quiet while I processed that. While in my mind, I wanted to move away from him, I couldn't bring myself to. My body refused to cooperate with me. I could only watch as horror and pain reflected on his features.

“Sans, what did you do?” I whispered.

“i didn't do anything,” he defended himself, sounding irritable. “granted, i am the judge. judge, jury, and executioner. but they never made it to me in the judgment hall.” He rubbed his palm on his basketball shorts. “the first six all died of various reasons; i was just the one that found them.”

The pain in his voice was palpable. It made every part of me want to curl up into him and reassure him it would never happen again. But these were only pieces and parts of the mystery. There were so many more things to know, and I wanted to know them all. In order to know at least one of my skeletons, I needed to know everything about them.

The good and the bad.

“You said seven souls. But you had six at one point. What's so different about human souls and monster souls that you couldn't use...well, monster souls?”

Sans paused briefly, rubbing his chin with his hands. “human souls actually have traits to them, i guess you could say. there are seven dominant traits to every soul. some souls can be one full color, or a mixture of the seven. determination, bravery, justice, kindness, patience, integrity and perseverance. each one has their own color. monster souls are nothing but white, as they not only function for our being, but our magic as well. they only seem to gain color when we use our magic, but i've been studying on that for a while now.”

“So even you don't know the full function of how that works? Monster souls and their colors, I mean,” I amended.

He looked down at me. “i guess not. not entirely anyway. i'll get there at some point.”

It was quiet for a moment. His phalanges were running through my hair, mindful of getting caught like G's had just a few days ago. I stared around me, still in awe at the true enormity of the room we were in. Though it still had space, every nook and cranny had to be filled with shelves of books. And then there were the desks and tables filled with even more books. I would have to find my way here one day and just take a look.

“do...do you mind if i see something really quick? before we get to the story?” he asked suddenly, his voice sounding more coy as he spoke.

When I looked up at him, his entire skull was a shade of cyan that matched the tears from the other night. He wasn't looking at me, but instead toward the window. Like he was avoiding my gaze. It reminded me the last time we had spoken about souls.

_“soul touching is just...it's a very private matter. showing your soul to someone is as intimate as sex. maybe more so to us since we're monsters.”_

It clicked.

“Sans, did you...did you wanna see my soul?”

He made a strangled noise in the back of his throat, almost throwing himself off the couch. I kept him in place, though, a small smile on my face as he sputtered and stammered for the correct words. I was waiting for his entire head to go up in flames as the cyan became a darker blue from the blushing.

I managed to calm him down some, but the usually composed Sans was definitely not composed this time.

He was wringing his hands together, looking down at his lap as I sat up and looked at him curiously. “If...if you want. Does it...does it hurt at all?” I looked down at his ribs.

His eye sockets grew wide and he held his hands up. “no, no it doesn't hurt. this was something different. i just...i just think maybe seeing your soul will help mine calm down enough to tell this story for the most part.”

I nodded. I had nothing to lose. In all reality, he was my mate; he had every right to it. I was just worried, with the way he was acting. I wasn't ready for anything more right now. I could only hope nothing else happened. I don't think my own soul could take anymore.

“Okay. If it'll help.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Writing out that scene with G and Stretch...yeesh, Lord help me. I'm a sinning sinner, and you're all going with me!
> 
> (:


	11. Problematic

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things go okay with that talk.  
> But after...

I sat facing Sans on the couch in library, the blanket moved away from my chest. His hand was shaking slightly, a look coming over his face. It was one of anticipation, hope. He looked like he was about to burst into flame from the mere shade of his skull, but even that wasn't stopping the excitement I could feel pouring out of him.

He crooked his finger, like in a “come hither” motion. I felt a small tug and shut my eyes as it yanked again. Through the blackness of my lids, a glow began to emit. It was soft, slightly pulsating the darkness. I cracked my eyes open just enough to look before they began to grow wider in wonder.

A heart shape floated in front of me, in the space between Sans and I. There were an array of colors that flashed through the little thing, creating a montage of light. When Sans moved his hand, it was like a small swirl of colors and there were more colors, only divided in certain places. Like they each occupied part of who I was.

“This is...my soul?” I asked quietly, as though I might scare it off.

Sans was stunned to silence, nodding absently as my soul seemed to move to him, circling his hand like it was trying nuzzle him. But he didn't let it touch him, letting it dance over his palm just out of reach. My soul didn't seem to mind, just happy enough to be this close to him for the first time.

“each of these colors represent us,” he explained. He pointed out each color, starting with the rainbow that made up the top right of it. “that's ink's spot. there's g's.” He moved over to the swirls of different yellows that were moving around. “there's red's and stretch's.” His finger moved slowly over the reds and oranges that made up their portions of my soul. “and there's mine.” His was in the direct center, the bright cyan taking up the space that the others didn't occupy. And even still, they all seemed to swirl together and then move away. Like they were one mind.

“What about the other colors?” I asked. “Before it...changed over to this?”

He moved his hand once more and the colors faded. There was mostly green. But there were spots of different colors moving around that as well. It wasn't as active as the others, but I could see spots of red and purple, with some light blue just a shade darker than the cyan that made up Sans.

“kindness,” he murmured, his fingertip grazing over the green, “then there's some patience,” as he moved over the light blue, “determination,” he pointed at the red then moved to the purple, murmuring, “perseverance.” He looked at me, curiosity on his face even as I began shaking my head.

“I don't wanna talk about that right now,” I said. “We're here about you.”

“heh, can't blame a skeleton for trying,” he said. He waved his hand and I watched as my soul slowly came back to me, pausing at my sternum before disappearing inside of me completely.

“You said there were seven,” I observed, “but there were only four there. What are the other three?”

He chuckled. “like to learn, don't'cha?” He shrugged. “in order, red is determination, orange is bravery, yellow is justice, green is kindness, light blue is patience, dark blue is integrity and purple is perseverance. this isn't saying that you don't have the other three traits that make up a soul, but they aren't quite all there. though at some point, they were.”

I hummed and moved back to huddle against him. He smelled like herbs, oddly enough, underneath the smell of whiskey and ketchup. Something about the strange combination was relaxing and I closed my eyes.

“although the underground was home,” he started, shifting so he could play with my hair, “it was just as much a prison. we had lived here on the surface before with no problems. but you already know that side of the story.” He looked down at me. “i may not be that old compared to some monsters like grillbz or muffett, but it was still enough time to know how bad it really was down there.

“when the first six kids fell, as i said, they died of different causes. and it wasn't the monsters. they just didn't make it through the underground; they couldn't. i don't know about the first few; wasn't there yet. something always went wrong...except the last kid. he was the soul of justice. long story short, i met him in the hall...he died there. he killed himself.” His voice choked up and he cleared it. “it was a long time after that until the next kid fell. things were still bad down there, and papyrus and i were just trying to get by.

“the next kid that fell was found by flo...asriel. Long story short, she turned her back on all the monsters that cared for her. She ended up dying. but her soul, the last one we needed, was not there to collect. it had gone off somewhere else out there.”

He paused for a second, his hands tightening. I moved and covered one of his hands with my own. The pain in his voice, the ache I could feel in my chest were similar. I tried getting as close to him as I could, even as the rattling began from his shivering. I moved the blanket around and covered him up, even knowing it was pointless.

“that's when frisk fell, not too long after that.” He sighed, looking up at the ceiling now as though trying to fight off the tears. “toriel found her not long after. she tried to keep her in the ruins, to be safe. but frisk really wanted to get home, to get out. toriel asked me to do something for her, something i didn't want to do. she wanted me to look after frisk, make sure the child came to no harm on her journey.

“i did. i made a promise to watch out for her. And that's when things started to get...weird.”

He looked down at me, his face twisted in a mask of absolute horror. His eye lights were dimming slowly, as though just the memory was bringing him back to all those years in the underground. I clung to his arm, my fingers wrapping around his radius. My soul was lurching my chest, as if trying to come back out and get to him, soothe him.

“things kept...repeating,” he said slowly, looking away to the fireplace. “one minute, i'd be asleep at my post, listening to papyrus yelling at me. the next, he was approaching me to yell about the same thing. i thought i had simply been dreaming...but then frisk...”

He continued to weave the story, pausing a lot to gather his thoughts. He kept a close hold on me, his arm squeezing me on occasion as though just to make sure I was real. That he wasn't reliving everything he was describing.

Then he got to the part about the last reset, before the one where they were all living in the “pacifist” timeline.

“it was horrible,” he choked out. “papyrus doesn't remember; no one remembers. but i do. i remember everything about that run. it wasn't frisk; i knew deep down it wasn't her. i watched as this...thing took over frisk's body, her soul, and killed everyone. toriel, asgore, undyne, alphys, mettaton...even papy...” His voice cracked and I watched cyan tears roll down his cheekbones. “this thing controlling frisk had killed papyrus. i was so torn apart, so angry. when she reached the hall, i lost it. i gave it all i had. even when...even when she killed me.”

I felt sick. My soul flared within me, fury at the thought of someone killing my soulmate. I felt my hands shaking and clenched them to get them to stop. One of them moved over to his ribs, rubbing over the scar that crossed his sternum. That's why he had that. It was because he had died. Twice.

“long story short, we managed to get chara, the first red soul, out of there. not sure what happened after that. i don't wanna think about it. but frisk reset one last time. and everything is as you see it now. i don't believe in promises.”

“That's why Stretch said none of you make promises,” I murmured, my hand clutching his shirt. “I'm so sorry.”

“it happened, and now it's over,” he sighed, the sound grateful. “i just hope she meant it; i couldn't handle a reset. not now.”

We sat there for a while, listening to the birds chirping outside and reveling in each other. My soul was finally relaxing, settling within me. Part of me wondered what if it had just been he and I? Just us two as mates, without the others. I knew the universe had a funny way of doing things, but dragging four skeletons away from their own times and friends was going a little too far.

After a while we got up, leaving the room and heading back downstairs. There was a bunch of shouting and before either of us could get it into gear, there was a series of crashes and the sound of something shattering. We both hightailed it, the blanket falling off my shoulders into the middle of the hallway.

Sans jumped the last four steps and I took them down two at a time, my heart racing in my chest. The scene before me was...ethereal. One of the couches had been flipped over and the coffee tables were turned onto their sides. Bones in varying shades of magic were lined up against the walls and...bullet holes littered some of the furniture. There were three large hands floating in the air, with holes in their palms like G's. Each palm had a different glow in the hole; red, green and dark blue.

Each of my other skeletons were scattered throughout the room. Stretch was now standing over a body, which wasn't even moving, with their hands behind their back. Red and Ink were in the process of shooting more bones at an unseen person or monster. G was standing in front of two people, the green shield around them while the giant hand with the dark blue magic shot out a saw blade.

Sans didn't waste any time. He grabbed my arm and rushed me over to the green shield, which I saw held Toriel and Frisk. The girl was frightened, hanging onto Toriel's dress with tight fists. When I was surrounded by the green magic, Sans turned and his hands lit up blue, bones appearing around him as he held out his hand.

I took a peek around them and let out a strangled noise. There were humans aiming guns at my skeletons. I recognized a few of them as my father's friends, some who came to meetings and others who didn't. They were taking aim right as I screamed.

I went to leave the magic before a large furry paw grabbed my arm. Toriel pulled me against her, turning me so I was burying my face in her gown. She stroked my hair, her body trembling as Frisk buried herself deeper. The sounds of the guns filled the room and I cringed, crying out.

“It's alright, my child,” I heard Toriel murmur. “My children. It will all be okay. They will not hurt those humans.” Her voice dropped as she added, “Though I believe in this case, they should.”

The rapid fire succession of the guns was deafening. I heard someone cry out right as my soul lurched and I felt physically sick. I clutched my stomach and felt the world grow fuzzy for a moment before I looked over and saw Ink dropped, holding his arm. There wasn't any blood, but I could see a rush of dust particles, and my heart fell to the floor. 

“No! Stop it!” I screamed, breaking free of Toriel. I ran out of the magic that kept me safe, Toriel calling my name. “I said, _stop it_!”

All action seized, every one of my skeletons moving at once to me. I ignored them, heading for Ink. I fell to my knees a few inches away from him, crawling the rest of the way as desperation became the only thing I could taste in my mouth. He looked up at me, his teeth grit in pain and rainbow beads of sweat popping out on his forehead. G took position in front of us, shooting out a red laser from one of the other hands and scattering the humans.

I grabbed onto Ink and whined in the back of my throat. I moved his hand away from his arm and watched as little pieces of him just seemed to...fall away. I panicked, trying to cover it up myself, trying to grab onto pieces of him to put them back. My vision blurred and my eyes stung, my throat seeming to close up on me.

Then it happened.

My hands became encased in a green glow, just a little brighter than G's green magic. As they hovered over Ink's injury, we watched in surprise as he seemed to heal, his arm glowing green as he seemed to just come back together. My breathing came out in pants as I focused whatever this was into healing him, healing my mate.

When he seemed better, the gleam faded. Nobody moved and nobody even seemed to breathe. Not even the humans attacking moved a muscle. Not until that familiar voice broke through the silence.

“So this is where you've been hiding.”

My body tensed, and an anger like I'd never known filled my body. I continued to look at Ink until he gave me a nod that he was okay. We stood together, me keeping my hands on him. Red grabbed him up, wrapping an arm around his waist and Ink threw one around his shoulders. Sans and G stood on either side of me while Stretch stayed standing over the body that was finally starting to make some kind of noise.

My dad stood in the center of it all, his finger twitching on the trigger of the gun he held. He stood tall and proud, a look of pride on his face. I watched as his thumb switched the gun to safety and tucked it away in his back pocket. I didn't say anything to him, I just watched him as he surveyed the area around him, which was now destroyed by his carelessness and cruelty.

I hated him.

In that moment, I knew. I knew I hated my father more than any one person on the planet. My ire reached its peak as I watched him kick a piece of plaster away from himself.

“Get the fuck out of here,” I growled.

His head snapped up to me. Those eyes that had once brought me so much fear growing up, now did nothing as they narrowed. I stood my ground, moving so I was facing him fully. My arms stayed at my sides as Sans and G closed in, keeping their eye lights trained on my dad. Stretch didn't move still, keeping one of his sneakers on the guy's back as he struggled on the ground. Red and Ink moved forward slightly, standing at my back.

“I said, get the fuck out of here,” I said louder. “You want a war? Fine, you'll get a war.” I heard loud clanging and heard Frisk cry out as Papyrus and Blueberry came closer to them. I didn't look, but I knew the gentle skeletons were coaxing her to be calm. “But just know, you'll be hurting one of the kindest races to ever walk the Surface. You're mad they came back because they took everything? What did they take?” I spread my arms wide. “They built their lives up here, as they had to, to survive down there.

“I may be one of the descendants of the Three Sages. But I will not tolerate you invading my home, _my life_ , with your toxic _bullshit_!”

It was quiet. My chest heaved up and down, my fury hitting its peak as he began walking forward. The skeletons around me seemed to move as one, their hands glowing their with their magic. Bones in their respective colors appeared before me, stopping him in his tracks.

For the first time in his life, my father looked terrified.

“I ran into Lucas last night,” I continued. “He tried prying me away from Stretch, the one in orange hoodie standing over your buddy right now. I was told you were 'trying to look for me'. But I can't help but wonder where he got that idea when you were the one who told me I wasn't welcome back in the home I was paying for.”

“I told him that because people have seen you with these creatures,” my father said, holding up both his hands. “Please. All I wanted for you was to be great, and with the AMM, you could have had it all. You could have had the respect this family deserves.”

I let out a harsh sounding laugh. “Respect? You think you deserve respect? Look at what you have done!” I motioned to the living room and part of the dining room, where it looked like the only thing holding up the beautiful table were the chairs. “This is how you gain your respect? Then I want no part of this! None! I want you out of my life, you and mom.” I choked, tears rolling down my face now.

I was livid. No, worse, I was outraged. He demanded we give him something he can't be bothered to give anyone else, human or monster. He came in and started shooting up a house full of the most delicate monsters I've ever met. And he was sitting here telling me how much of a perfect fit I was for his bullshit movement?

“If this is going to be the family business,” I said when he didn't move, “then I want out of the family.”

The room dropped a few degrees. His once pleading face turned into a mask of fury. I saw his hand go for his back pocket and grit my teeth, taking off with my head down. I brought my shoulder forward right as I collided with him, sending us both sprawling to the ground. Chaos resumed, my skeles heading for my side.

When I started standing, something cold pressed against the side of my head. I froze, terror sliding down my throat like a cool glass of water. Everyone froze, even my dad's friends, who were looking at the scene before them with shock and horror. My skeletons froze in their own steps.

“You want out, fine,” my dad murmured by my side. The gun cocked and I feel my body start shaking. “Just know whatever happens next is all your fault.”

The gun moved and I heard the door open. There were footsteps that were running, people yelling at him about what he had just done. The door closed and I took in a deep, gasping breath as all of my soulmates gathered around me, all of them holding onto me for dear life. I grabbed onto them in turn, the feel of their smooth bones under my fingers bringing my fear and ire down immediately.

“we're here, angel,” G murmured. “we're here.”

“everything is going to be okay, flower.”

“he ain't gonna do nothin', ya hear, sweetheart?”

“we've got you, honey.”

“you're ours, princess; we take care of what's ours.”

Their words flowed over me, soothing me. It wasn't even noon and it was already an eventful morning. I buried myself deeper into them, my soul yearning for theirs at that moment. I felt safe, wanted. It was the first time I'd really felt that way in so many years. It was something I'd craved when the monsters first came up, before I realized they were just as nice as the rest of us could really be. There was always a bad apple in every bunch, but in this case, there were more than one. It spoiled the entire basket.

I had done something I never thought I would do. I stood up to my dad. Even declared a war on him that would be completely one sided. I already knew the monsters wouldn't harm another human. Not after the shit they had to go through just get back up here. I looked up at them.

“We have to tell the others,” I said, my voice choked. “We...we have to warn the others what I–”

“hush,” Stretch muttered, putting a finger to my lips. “we'll handle this. you need to stay here and relax.”

“is no one going to question what flower did to my arm?” Ink inquired.

That sent another strange quiet over the room. Everyone, even the other three monsters and Frisk, watched me. But none of them seemed scared or nervous. Instead, they seemed curious and wondering. I felt the same way. That had been magic. I had used magic of some sort and had healed Ink. But how? I thought humans couldn't use magic...

“That will be answered another day,” Toriel mused, coming closer to me. She shooed the others away and knelt in front of me, her gown creating a slight wind around her. “Are you okay, my child?”

“How can you...you even stand being near me?” I cried. “After everything my family has done to you, said about you...”

A furry paw cupped my chin and brought my face to look up at her. She used her other one to move the hair away from my face. Her smile was gentle; genuine. “Child, you are not the one who harmed me or mine. My husband and I have thanked you numerous times when you were not there, for protecting the monster children when no one else dared stand up to them. Even with monster kind and human kind looking their noses down at you, you have faced forth like none of it bothered you.” She quieted. “But it did, didn't it?”

I only nodded as the events finally came crashing down around me like the sky was falling. She hugged me close to her, gathering me in her arms as her dress draped over me like a cloak. My cries turned into sobs and I wailed loudly into her, clinging to her.

He'd been ready to shoot me.

What have I done?

**

Sans closed Jewel's door slowly, letting it click before heading to the living room via shortcut. When he appeared, everyone was gathered around, getting details on the damage to the house. He watched as Papyrus picked up the bigger pieces of plaster, Frisk chasing around him and using the vacuum to pick up the smaller things. Blueberry and Stretch were checking up in the higher places to check for holes from bones and bullets.

It'd been too much. The image of that gun held to Jewel's head sent something akin to fury and fear flying through him. G was sitting in the smoker's corner, rubbing his skull with his hands, careful to avoid the cracks in his skull. Red was beside him, smoking a cigarette and typing away on his phone. Toriel was beside them, talking quietly.

He went over to them, hands in his pockets.

“everyone okay?” he asked.

“Everyone is fine, dear,” Toriel sighed. “Jewel is asleep?”

“knocked out,” he sighed, plopping down on the floor. He brought his hand up and scrubbed his face with it. “what the fuck happened?”

“they came out of nowhere,” Red growled, crushing his cigarette out in the ashtray. “my guess is they followed toriel and frisk up here. they attacked as soon we opened the door.”

“how long?”

“right as you guys left the library,” G stated. “so it wasn't long.”

“Did her parents really tell her to leave home?” Frisk asked from beside Sans, sitting down. “That's really rude.”

“isn't it, kid?” Sans chuckled. “but yes, they told her to never come back. where's ink?”

“wandered off.” Red lit up another cigarette, blowing it toward the open window. “he's a little off right now.”

“i'm worried about jewel,” Stretch said, coming to join them. “she's not doing so hot. her soul keeps darkening.”

Sans had noticed that, too, when he had seen it. Though souls were usually vibrant in color, sometimes the troubles in life could cause one's soul to darken. It was like building up walls after being hurt for so long. The soul built up a magical wall that next to nothing could get past. Even soulmates could have a problem getting past it if it was bad enough.

Hopefully, it wouldn't be for the five of them.

Blueberry came over, looking weary. Stretch put his arm around him, bringing him closer. The usual stars in his eyes were just regular blue eye lights now.

“how are we supposed to tell all the monsters to keep an eye out?” Red sighed, rubbing his nasal ridge. “more than that, what did jewel do?”

G cleared his throat. “she mentioned during her speech with her dad that she was a descendant of one of the sages. which means there has to be magic running through her family; there isn't a way around that.”

“But why did it happen when it did?” Toriel asked.

“because she was under a lot of stress at that moment,” G explained. “think about it. she saw ink; she saw his body fading. The wound wasn't fatal, but she didn't know that. she thought he was going to die; desperation was her first thought.”

“we have to study more on this,” Stretch said. “we've all got ph. d's, but not one of us can explain this.”

“For now, let's clean up,” the goat queen said, standing. She brushed off her dress and began to go toward the kitchen. “I'll cook something up while you boys clean. Come on, Frisk.”

Frisk stood, giving a kiss on Sans's cheek before running off after her mother. Sans watched them disappear before sighing and standing, heading over to the far wall. He started picking up pieces of plaster while the others scattered, heading off to do similar things. Ink walked in, his eye lights white as he put his paintbrush back where it belonged and headed off to help Blueberry.

Sans rubbed his skull for a moment. His soul was yearning to go back to Jewel, to go lay with her and comfort her like he had when she was sleeping just a while back.

“it's okay, you know.”

He looked over. Ink had come by him, bending down and studying the damage. He looked up at Sans with a strange smile and stood upright, pulling his paintbrush back out and swiping it across the wall. The holes disappeared, the paint white even with black ink still on his brush tip.

“we all feel the same way.”

Sans nodded.

“then let's finish up here with your brush and go check on her.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welp. There's that.
> 
> I'm officially on chapter fourteen, so I'm about three chapters ahead of you guys. I'm doing a chapter dump because I don't know when the next time I'll be able to post is. It could be Sunday, it could be Wednesday. I have no clue.
> 
> Hope you enjoyed!


	12. Queen's Dinner

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I finally get to talk to Frisk and really know her. Flowey's even there to make things better.
> 
> What's up with the "Smiley Trashbag"? And Ink does make a fair point.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not too much to say; this is mostly so you can see how Frisk operates and stuff. Plus, who doesn't love a little bit of Flowey? Right?

When I woke up, it was still daylight. When I looked at the clock, I'd only been asleep for a couple of hours. I guess that was better than the thirty-six from the previous day. I went to sit up and noticed that I was being weighed down. I peeked over the covers, warm air flowing over me as I studied the group pile before me.

G and Stretch were at the end of the bed, each curled up oddly by my legs. Ink was sleeping against the far wall, his paintbrush brought up against his chest as his head tilted to the side. The black ink stain was more noticeable in the light, and it made me curious if I could wipe it off. Red and Sans were on either side of me, each one holding onto my hands, their phalanges intertwined with my fingers.

I didn't move, wondering just how long they had been up here with me. The living room had been a disaster when I was brought up here. I didn't want to think about that as I shifted my foot a little, startling G awake.

He blearily looked up at me, blinking a couple times before smiling. “mornin', angel.”

“It's not morning,” I croaked. I cleared my throat as the others began to shift in their sleep. “What happened?”

“found out ink's paintbrush is good for fixing up stitches and walls,” G grumbled. He rolled over, planting his feet on floor and stretching. His bones began to pop in several places and I winced at each, a smile on my face. “we were worried about you.”

“That seems to be the theme here.”

I went to move when I felt a hand moving up toward my breast. I rolled my eyes and then looked over at Red. The pattern of his breathing was different when he was asleep, but I don't think he knew that like I did. His hand was slowly inching upward. I looked over at G and noted that Stretch and Sans were awake, watching this happen with smiles on their faces. Ink was still rubbing his eyes like a toddler.

I yawned and moved, rolling over toward Sans. “I know you're awake, Red. Try again.”

Everyone laughed as he cursed, pounding the bed with his fist. While he exclaimed about “just gettin' one feel”, everyone began moving off the bed, letting me out as well. I stretched myself, my back popping in several places. Red's voice quieted and everyone seemed to start blushing. I looked around, confused.

“kinda suggestive,” Stretch mumbled, his face bright orange.

As we began to wake up and start talking, we piled out of my room. We headed for the living room, which had been righted to normal. The holes in the walls were gone and the couches had been fixed and righted. Even a peek in the dining room showed me that everything was back to normal. It was a wonder what that giant brush could really do.

The TV was turned on and Frisk turned around, her eyes landing on me. She gave me a friendly smile waved me over. I hesitated, pausing in my steps. Anytime anyone wanted anything from me was always something about the AMM. It was always something that had to do with my family, if I was really like them...

“she's not like them,” Sans said, his voice low against my ear. “she likes you.”

I looked back over at her, and sighed. I headed over and walked around the couch and was met with...a smiling flower.

God help me, not now.

“I see they weren't lying when they said the smiling trashbag had a soulmate,” Flowey's voice rang out.

“You can silence your face,” I said. I picked up his flower pot and put him on Frisk's lap before sitting. “I'm still pissed at you for destroying the jungle gym at the park.”

“That was an accident!” the flower tried defending himself. “I didn't mean to tip it on its side. It just happened!”

“I'm not mad about that,” I stated. “I'm mad you then decided to put your thorny stems all over it.”

If Flowey could shrug, he would have in that moment. I could see it in my head as he stuck out his tongue at me and turned back to the television. I rolled my eyes as the others settled around, my smoker's heading for their corner. Ink plopped down in front of me and put his skull on my leg. I absently pet his head, running my fingers over the bone.

They eventually started arguing over something on the show we were watching. It was an old Mythbuster's episode, something I used to enjoy watching. They were debating on whether everything was true, and if it was really debunked. I shook my head as Papyrus came up beside me.

“SINCE OUR QUEEN HAS DECIDED TO MAKE LUNCH TODAY,” he said, “I'VE SET THE TABLE. EVERYTHING IS PREPARED FOR FEASTING.”

“Thanks, Papy,” Frisk said, looking over at him.

He beamed. “ANYTHING FOR MY FIRST EVER HUMAN FRIEND.”

As Papyrus walked away, Frisk leaned closer to me and whispered, “We went on a date once, and it ended horribly. I love him, but he's so full of himself.” She giggled.

I looked at her with a smile. “You went on a date with Papyrus? Really?”

“Really,” she confirmed. “He even had a special outfit for it and everything. Ask him about his hot pants.”

I cracked up as we continued talking. I found out she was actually a couple years younger than I was. Flowey interjected on our conversation here and there, his squeaky voice turning into something dark at times. I would only roll my eyes and flick one of his petals, causing him to yell out in outrage. Everyone stood up, slowly making their way to the dining room.

Toriel had made a lot of food. The smell of steaks filled the dining room as Papyrus brought them out, placing one on each plate with a weird flourish that only Papyrus could pull off. Next she brought out mashed potatoes and a large gravy boat and little Blueberry was ambling along behind her, smiling as he carried a huge dish filled with green beans. 

My stomach rumbled at the sight of the food. Each dish was placed carefully on the table. Stretch had to help Blueberry get it to the middle since he was the shortest Sans there. Everyone took their seat, but instead of Ink sitting beside me, Frisk took his usual spot. He looked grumpy about it, but he trudged his way over to the end of the table, sitting opposite of Toriel, who took the head.

Flowey was put between Frisk and I. I noticed there was another steak set on top of Frisk's, and she was given an extra helping of everything. I watched as she cut up the steak and green beans, mixing the potatoes with the gravy before grabbing an extra fork and spearing a piece of meat before holding it up to Flowey.

I thought his laugh was bad. Watching this thing open its mouth wide for a piece of steak was downright horrific.

Talk flowed easily over the course of dinner. Frisk and I still talked, with Flowey injecting his two cents in after he chewed on his food. I wondered where his stuff went to. He was a fucking flower, for the love of the stars.

At one point, her sleeve moved up when she went to feed Flowey. I saw scars marring her wrist, almost white against her dark skin. She didn't seem to notice that I saw, but I continued talking to her as she told me about a few times in the Underground she found amusing. When talking about the “headdog” contest, I choked on potatoes while trying to ask what the hell that was. Sans was laughing, hitting his fist on the table as he explained what it was.

The events from earlier seemed to be nothing more than a dream as we talked well into the afternoon. Toriel asked a few times how I was holding up, and she seemed like she was trying to take me under her wing like she had with Frisk.

The thought of Frisk leaving now when I was finally able to get to know her was actually kind of saddening. I used to have friends, but when the monsters came around and my dad announced the creation of the movement, they had all ditched. They didn't want to be associated with a human who hated monsters. Even when I tried explaining that I didn't, they still left. I'd been alone almost my entire life.

Flowey seemed to notice my mood and leaned in close, his stem moving him down to meet my stare. “What's wrong?”

I blinked at him. He seemed...genuinely concerned? “Nothing. Just actually kind of sad that Frisk will have to leave soon, I guess.”

Flowey cackled, the sound raising the hairs on the back of my neck. A quick look around showed that I wasn't the only one who was wary when he did that. The only people who didn't seem bothered by it were Toriel and Frisk. Both of them shook their heads before Frisk picked up his flower pot.

“Hey, mom, I'm gonna go outside with Jewel,” she said, leaving her seat.

Toriel nodded and sent me a smile. “Of course, child. Be careful out there.”

“I'll watch over them, mo–Toriel!” Flowey called, catching himself.

I jogged to catch up with them, heading out the front door. She sat one of the patio chairs, putting Flowey beside her on the table. I took the one on the other side and crossed my legs underneath me, my eyes resting out at the scenery before me.

Now that I actually had a chance to look, it was breathtaking. The mountains rose high and proud toward the sky. The sun cast their shadows over us and over a lake below. I didn't even notice that had been there. It sparkled in the sunlight, damn near blinding me.

“So what has Sans told you?”

I looked over at Frisk. She was looking up at the sky, her face a strange mask.

“What do you mean?”

“Did he tell you about what happened?” she asked softly. “About before...”

I caught on and sighed. “I asked him; he'd had a nightmare and...and it was bad. He used a strange voice that I'd heard him use with my parents when they...when something happened.”

She nodded and looked over at me. “I was told I'm the only determined soul left. The only whole red one.” She held a hand to her chest. “But it's not just mine.”

Flowey sighed and a separate stem came from beneath the soil. It touched her arm and she looked at him, smiling sadly. He looked sad himself, like a part of him had been ripped out of him. We stayed quiet as all three of us stared out at the scene before us, the calm seeming to bring peace to us.

“Hey!” she said suddenly, startling me. “Why don't I ask mom if I can stay here tonight?”

I blinked, tilting my head. “You...wanna stay here?”

“Of course!” She gave me a wink. “I heard what you said to Flowey, and I haven't been able to stay with Sans for a while. He kept himself cooped up in the Underground even after I freed everyone. It's a good chance to also get to know the others.” She paused and furrowed her brows. “The tall one that wears the orange hoodie kept looking at me like I was about to do something.”

“It's odd, but you'll understand when I tell you. Or when he does.” I shrugged. “One of us will. Probably me. Stretch is trying to still get used to everything here, and Blueberry is trying to help him adjust.”

She cracked up. “They even got their own names. That's great!”

“What was I supposed to call them?” I pointed out, chuckling. “Sans One & Sans Two? Papyrus Three and Four?”

She laughed harder, hitting her knee with her palm a couple times. “I-I can't believe th-this is happening right now!”

After another few minutes of laughing, we got up to go back inside. Frisk immediately went to find Toriel and I went on a hunt for the first skeleton on my mind. Ink stood in front of the mural of the Underground, running his fingers over the wall. I stood behind him, unsure if he was in the zone, or if he was just imagining something. I went to approach him and he turned, his eye lights the usual flower and oval. He gave me a smile and reached out a hand.

“hey, flower,” he murmured, bringing me in for a kiss.

I chuckled as he kissed me, his teeth pressing sweetly against my mouth. When he moved back, he placed his forehead on mine, sighing. The smell of mint drifted over my face, and I breathed it in like I would a breath of fresh air.

“Hey,” I murmured. “You alright? You seemed a little out of it.”

“i'm fine,” he said. “just feeling weird today for some reason.”

I nodded. “I'm here, you know. Everything is okay.”

He looked at me, his expression growing serious. “okay for how long? your own father held a gun to your head and told you that whatever happened was your fault. this was the man that used to tuck you in at night, and now he's turning into a different kind of monster.”

I couldn't help but agree. He wasn't wrong. My dad was turning into a version of a monster that didn't exist anywhere Underground. He was volatile, a bomb waiting to go off at any second. One wrong move from any monster and they could wind up dead. But he was wrong; it wouldn't be my fault. He was a close minded fool who didn't believe in this kind of stuff. It was a hard pill for him to swallow. I just wish he had tried before he had turned into this.

I shook my head. “We'll figure out something. Right now, he'll go into hiding and plan his next move. It might be a while, but wouldn't dare come back up this way.”

“i hope not,” he murmured before his eye lights disappeared. “for his sake.”

The look sent a shiver up my spine.

The sound of footsteps sounded behind us and I looked over, watching Frisk run up the stairs with a grin on her face. Ink's eye lights returned, with the red exclamation point and blue circle. She paused and looked at Ink then me. I nodded and she came closer, her smile still in place. Flowey was nowhere to be seen, probably downstairs with the others.

“Mom said it was okay if I stay tonight!” she said excitedly. “Would you mind if I borrowed some of your clothes for the night?”

“Course not,” I said.

“you can borrow the one's she's wearing,” Ink said suggestively.

I shrieked and hit him. Before my palm could hit, he vanished and reappeared a few steps away, laughing. I grunted and turned on my heel, walking down the stairs. Frisk and Ink followed, laughing as I plopped on the couch next to Red.

“what's wrong, sweetheart?” he asked. “got something _ta get off ya chest_?”

“just watching her pout is really _getting under my skin_ ,” I heard G pipe in. I turned my pouty glare to him. He only grinned at me.

“Well, I'm staying here tonight,” Frisk stated in a matter of fact tone, “so that means you can't pout. It's going to be a good night tonight!”

“Sure, if you let me out of this flower pot and back into the ground,” Flowey grumbled. “Then it would be even better than listening to you gossip.”

She glanced sideways. “I could leave you with Sans. Not just ours, but all five of them.”

If flowers could look scared for their life, this one certainly did. All the different Sans looked at Flowey at once. And though they all looked sadistic, Red looked borderline ecstatic. I wonder if the Flowey from his AU was as much of a douche as the one here is.

Banter ensued, with Flowey being the target of the horrible puns. I watched the flower huff and puff in agitation, laughing as the five of them went round and round with him. Sans didn't do much of it, choosing to lean back and watch the other versions of him basically obliterate the poor flower.

“usually, _lilac_ the energy to keep things like this up,” Stretch said, earning a groan from Flowey. “but in this case, this is good. i'm good with this.”

I snorted, moving so my back was against the arm of the couch and I threw my legs over Red's thighs. He didn't care, just brought them up further and used them to rest his arms on. Frisk watched with a curious glance, but didn't comment. She instead turned to Sans and started whispering to him, motioning to Flowey occasionally.

Toriel came back into the room then, Papyrus in tow. They seemed at peace, something I hadn't seen from Papyrus for a couple of days. It made me want to cuddle him close, but I knew if I did that, all hell would break loose with my skeletons.

I leaned my head back and closed my eyes. The past week had been nothing short of eventful, and it was still hard to think that G, Red, Ink, Stretch and Blueberry had only been here for that long. I felt like they had been here longer. Already, I could see their differences, even though they were technically all alike.

G was a tease, and he was a good one at that. In the moments no one else was around, though, he was sweet as pie. He held me tight, gave me the softest kisses on my forehead. He always had a soft word to say to put my mind at ease about everything that had been happening.

Ink was a mystery. He was gentle, but he seemed to be holding onto a weight that seemed to push him down. It was like the world was on his shoulders and he didn't know how to deal with it. His eye lights were strange, but it was interesting watching them change out with his moods. It was like a tell tale sign.

Stretch was...well, Stretch. He was as much a flirt as G, but he hid it better, choosing to take me out on a date rather than pin me to my bed and fuck with me. He even held someone at bay just to keep me safe. He made sure I ate, always slipping a few extra fries in with my food when he thought I wasn't looking. Or when he thought I couldn't see the fries floating in the air with orange magic.

Red was something else. I gathered where his AU was, everyone was a bunch of assholes. When he spoke of his Papyrus, he sounded like he...genuinely feared him. As though he was the younger brother and Papyrus was the oldest. I couldn't help but think of the collar around his neck, marking him like some kind of dog. But, as much of a jerk as he could be, he was still my jerk.

Sans...he was the original. Sweet and even sassy. Always has something to say. But he went through a lot, from what I know. I don't know his whole history, but there was something about the way he acts that makes me think he's keeping me at a distance. For now. He could cuddle me close, but he could also throw me at arm's length if he really wanted to.

I opened my eyes and sighed, thinking about the night they had come to get me from my parents. I remember feeling scared, the feeling eating me alive. I knew bonds worked a different way, but I wasn't quite sure how. I could feel their emotions through it, and I figured they could feel mine. But could they read my thoughts? Could they do anything weird to me through the bond?

I read way too many books.

When I sat up again, everyone had turned to the television and was watching it. Red kept my legs trapped under his arms until I started trying to kick him. He grumbled unhappily and moved his arms. I moved my legs off him and grabbed a blanket from the back of the couch, curling up in it and leaning against him. He hummed now, wrapping an arm around me and leaned us back against the couch.

Being like this, just made me feel complete.


	13. Learning and Breakfast

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I learn more about Frisk with our slumber party.
> 
> I also decide it's my turn to make breakfast. Only Red seems keen on distracting me.

Night fell, and once more the food on my plate vanished before Papyrus or Blueberry noticed. This time it was Sans who gave me a subtle wink and I giggled behind my hand. Frisk looked between the two of us, her face a mask of curiosity. She didn't comment though.

We sent the two boisterous skeletons to bed, Stretch and Sans tucking them in and reading them a bedtime story. Everyone gathered while G disappeared to get Grillby's. When Sans and Stretch came back down, Red was lying on my lap, basically forcing me to pet him. Ink was whining about it being his turn. They shook their heads and went to their own spots.

When G popped back, Frisk piped up.

“So what's everyone's story?” she asked, digging through the bag and tossing a packet of ketchup at Sans.

He caught it without looking away from his food. “not now, kid.” He looked up now, dark circles under his sockets. “soon, but not now.”

She didn't seem happy with the answer, but she let it go. Flowey chuckled beside her, and she gave him a scathing glare. He didn't quiet though, instead giving her a wink with his tongue poking out. How did this thing survive and work?

It was disturbing.

Everyone talked as they ate, even Frisk joined in at some point. I dug in my bag and groaned in joy at the chicken tenders that I pulled out. When I began pulling out my honey mustard, I saw Red's eye lights eyeing the packets in my lap. I glared at him, taking them off my lap and putting them in my shirt.

He only grinned, that familiar feral grin stretching his face. His tooth was highlighted by the light in the living room.

My face heated and I looked away from him, huffing. I pulled one back out and tore it open, pouring into the lid of the box my tenders were in. As I ate, I studied everyone. They all seemed okay, except for Stretch. Though he ate, he was watching Frisk with sharp eyes, his eye lights slightly shrunken. If she happened to glance over, he would look down until she looked away.

He mentioned he'd been in a flipped version of this AU. If Frisk was the heroine of the monsters here, then she would have been the enemy in his AU. I shivered at the thought. It didn't seem possible; Frisk was so gentle. But that was this Frisk. I couldn't imagine what the other Frisk must have been like for Stretch to be acting like this.

I stood from my seat, nonchalantly making my way over to him and sitting in front of him. Like he often did with me, I settled between his legs and continued munching on my food. There was a pause from him and I could feel his eyes on the back of my skull. Then I felt his hand glide through my hair and give a gentle tug before he went back to talking and eating. I knew it was his way of saying thank you.

By the time everyone was done eating, Ink and Red said their goodnight's. They each gave me a kiss. This time I managed to keep Red's hand away from my ass. He pouted as he left, red smoke drifting upward. Stretch was next a few minutes later, yawning wide before giving me a peck on the cheek before heading off. G had fallen asleep on the couch, an arm over his eyes. No one bothered him as Frisk, Sans and I turned off the lights and went upstairs.

Sans left us at his room, kissing my forehead. I lead Frisk to my room, where she paused in the open door and marveled at the paint job.

“This is amazing,” she said, her fingers grazing over the paint. “Who did this?”

“Ink did,” I said, grabbing some clothes from the dresser and handing them to her. “Here, bathroom is right there.”

“We're both girls,” she laughed. “It's not a big deal. Haven't you been to sleepovers before?”

“No,” I said quietly. “I didn't...after you freed the monsters, I didn't have friends. Not because of me, but because of my...my family.”

She shed her shirt, and I couldn't help the gasp that escaped my lips. The same scars that marred her wrists were spread all over her body. White dots and scratches lined her torso and stomach, each telling a tale of a time down under that I apparently couldn't seem to fathom.

It didn't seem to bother her that I noticed; she threw on the tee shirt I let her borrow and shed her pants next. The same thing could be said about her legs. They were covered, and I couldn't help but wonder what Sans had left out when he told me his story earlier.

I felt my heart clench.

When she finished dressing, she looked around my room some more.

“Where's Flowey?” I finally managed.

“He's outside,” she mused. “He likes to see the stars at night. He might not admit it, but he really likes it up here.”

She turned to look at me and something changed on her face. A sigh escaped her lips as she made herself comfortable on my bed. She pat the area beside her and I sat down. She looked out the window.

“How much did he tell you?” she finally murmured. “I know it must have been some; you said he'd had a nightmare. But...I don't think he told you the whole story of what happened.”

“You said...your soul wasn't just yours? Even Flowey seemed sad by that,” I noted, thinking back to his face.

“Chara,” she whispered, so soft I almost didn't catch it. “Her name was Chara. I don't know the specifics of what happened. But her soul and mine are the same. When she died, I somehow got it. Sans would know more about that than I would.” She paused and looked down at her hands. “I was the only one. I could summon my determination, you could say, and I could save and load...and reset.”

When she mentioned the word “reset”, her hands tightened into fists in her lap. They were clenched so tight the knuckles were turning white. She took in a deep breath through her nose, slowly blowing it out through her mouth.

“I didn't know what I was doing,” she said quietly. “I was scared; I wanted to go home. All I had heard was bad things about the Underground, about the monsters that were living below the mountain. Flowey...” She swallowed, letting out a hollow sounding laugh. “He tried to kill me. 'In this world, it's kill or be killed', he told me. That's when Toriel came for me.”

She seemed lost in her mind. Her eyes were glazed over as if she was actually reliving her time Underground. She was shaking a little as she continued.

“From there, it only got worse. Tori taught me I didn't have to fight the monsters, I could talk to them. Hell, I could even flirt with them. So that's what I did. The first time.”

I looked at her with a raised brow. “The first time?”

She nodded. “The first time I went through, I freed them. But then...then I reset. I did it again. And again. The only thing was, only I could remember what was going on. Or so I thought.”

_The nightmare._ “Sans.”

She hummed in agreement. “He remembered everything, too. But he didn't let on till maybe the third time through. He warned me if I kept it up, something might glitch, and I could cause the fall of the Underground, and monster-kind alike. I didn't listen to him.” Her voice quieted. “I should have listened.”

My heart was racing. I felt the food I had eaten churning in my stomach. It was sickening, the way she'd said it.

“What happened?”

“That was when time seemed to glitch,” she choked out. Tears rolled freely down her face. “Chara...Chara took over my body; I had no control over what I was doing, what I was saying. I...I killed them.” She was sobbing now, burying her face into her hands. “I killed all of them. Mom, Papyrus, Undyne...” Her voice choked out and she hiccuped. “And I couldn't stop it. She had full control. I tried, at first, to get back. I tried to summon the reset button. To do something. To save them. But nothing I did helped. Everything I did was useless. Twice, I tried this.” Her laugh sounded haunted. “She enjoyed it so much she used our determination to do this _twice_. And then Sans...” She choked on her words. “Oh, God, Sans...”

“I get it,” I whispered.

And I did, somewhat. I could tell by the marks on her body what had happened. Something in Sans must have known what was wrong, and they somehow managed to fix it. It was why Sans had his nightmares. And if that was what happened here, then it must have happened to the others in their AU's. Which means it wouldn't be long until they started having their own nightmares. Or even sleepless nights.

As she cried, I gathered her to me, much like Toriel had done with me after my dad. I rubbed her back and stroked her hair, whispering to her. She seemed to calm down, but it took a while. She was sniffling when she finally pulled away, wiping her eyes on her arms. She didn't look at me, her face covered by her hair.

“Sans is still wary around me,” she said finally. “He's still worried that I'll...I'll reset. And now, with you and the others...”

“I know, Frisk,” I said simply. “Wanna hear about how he and I first met?”

She looked up slowly, a small smile on her lips. “Of course. Betcha one of the first few things he said was a horrible pun.”

“You already know it!” I cackled.

I went through the first time. The first time Underground and my first time meeting Sans. When I told her about the puns and Papyrus, she started laughing. It was a little raspy from all her crying, but it was a start. I went through how I met the others, how everything seemed to be in conclusion. I was truthful about my family, but she shrugged it off.

“That's your family,” she said firmly. “Like mom said, that's your family. Not you.”

It had warmed my heart.

By the time one in the morning hit, she was passed out, rolled over onto her side and curled in a tight ball. I sat on the edge of my bed a bit longer, watching her. She had gone through a lot, had dealt with so much. I couldn't imagine what it would be like, trapped inside my own body and watching everyone you love die around you.

By your hands, nonetheless.

I looked out the window at the waxing moon, its glow hitting the mountains. It looked like it had snowed on there, reminding me of Snowdin. I had been there once, but it was like a permanent fixture in the back of my mind. I didn't have to question as to why. It was the first place I met Sans, and my entire life.

Cheesy as it sounded.

I laid down down next to Frisk. She stirred in her sleep, stretching before turning to face me, her palm pressed to her face. I chuckled and went under the covers, burying my face in my pillow. The scent of the rain forest drifted up from the pillow, reminding me of G.

The only problem was, I couldn't sleep peacefully.

**

A few days passed after that. Things fell into a pattern. I usually woke up with someone in my bed or my room. Red usually tried to sneak a peek when I went into the bathroom. I knew he could easily move himself into the room using his shortcuts, but I locked the door anyway. Just to mess with him.

Breakfast was usually some concoction by Papyrus. In reality, it was usually Muffett's. Blueberry had control over lunch, and even then, it was Grillby's. I felt bad that their food went to some unseen person or place, but I don't think glitter is good for human consumption. And the others didn't want to seem to test the waters. Dinner had been either Grillby's or Toriel's home cooking. Which was a nice change from the greasy garbage we kept eating for lunch.

One morning, it was raining. I decided I was going to surprise my skeletons for breakfast, so I woke up early. I snuck past all their rooms and made a beeline down the stairs for the kitchen. Not even Papyrus or Blueberry were awake. What would be the chance one of the boys would be up?

I went into the kitchen and gathered a few things I had bought the previous day. Bacon, eggs, bread. I pulled the potatoes Asgore had given me from the bucket in the pantry. I grabbed a cutting board and knife, getting the seasonings I knew I would need. I even turned on the coffee pot, because coffee is my lifeline.

I puttered around the kitchen, flipping the eggs and turning the bacon. I wasn't sure how they all liked their stuff, but they would get over it. Plus, I would learn who liked what. So in the end, I guess it was really a win-win for me.

A tub of butter was placed beside me and I squealed, turning on my heel. Red stood next to me, grinning sleepily. He had grabbed himself a cup of coffee, the scent of it wafting through the kitchen.

“really tryna _butter_ us up, ain'tcha?” he said huskily.

Something inside me stirred at the sound of his voice. I held a hand to my stomach, feeling like butterflies were fluttering around in there. I took in a small breath.

“I'm just being nice,” I managed, turning back to the food.

He hummed. “yer just full o' surprises, sweetheart.”

I snorted. I continued my cooking as he watched. When everything was just about done, I went to the fridge and bent down to grab the jam and cream cheese that I knew Blueberry liked. When I stood, I closed the door with my foot and turned.

Red was standing right in front of me, his eyes half lidded. His eye lights were red today, which I had come to find out he didn't have very often. It was usually when he wasn't thinking about it or when he was in a mood. I went to pass by him, but he followed.

I stepped to the right. He followed.

I stepped left. He followed.

After doing this dance for another three rounds, I huffed, holding the things in front of me. “What are you doing?”

“we seem to be in a _jam_ here,” he murmured, his voice still throaty. He snagged the cream cheese and jam from my hands, using his magic to place them by the food. “in fact, 'm in a bit o' a _pickle_.”

He took me by the waist, lifting me up and putting me on the counter. I gasped, holding onto his shoulders. The counter leveled us pretty evenly. Being as short as I was, it was easy to see why he wanted to see me like this. I opened my mouth, unable to form words for a few minutes.

“What would that be?” I managed to sputter out of my mouth.

“th' fact that yer so sexy when yer cookin',” he said, leaning in closer. “watchin' ya dance around in those cute little shorts is real hot, ya know?”

My face heated. I forgot I wearing sleeping shorts, not my usual pajama pants. Papyrus had come by a couple days ago, gathering the laundry from everyone's rooms. He made a happy comment on how I at least picked up my socks. Then he left with my laundry basket in tow. So I didn't have my usual pants. Crap.

I went to look away. His fingers snagged my chin, cupping it just so he could hold my gaze. His fangs were glinting in the morning light pouring in from the nearby windows. The gold tooth caught my attention briefly before he chuckled.

“what's wrong, sweetheart?” he husked. “somethin' on ya mind?”

“I..I...no...”

“'s okay,” he whispered, drawing close enough to where I could feel his breath fanning my mouth. “i can say enough fer both of us.”

His mouth crashed against mine. I made a weird noise in the back of my throat before trying to use my hands to push him away. He grabbed them and wrapped them around my back, holding both my wrists at the small of my back, much as G had almost a week ago. Only he'd put them above my head.

The position lifted my chest up, and I felt my breasts rub against his turtleneck through the thin shirt I wore. He made a noise close to an animal growl in the back of his throat, using one fang to nip my bottom lip. I opened my mouth, and he took his chance, his tongue sliding in to tangle with mine.

The smell of something earthy filled my nostrils as I breathed in. The tingle of his magic against the inside of my mouth had me clenching my hands against his wrist bones. He let out a chuckle, his breath invading.

Something was changing, and I tried clenching my legs closed. Somewhere between me being on the counter and now, he had maneuvered himself between my legs so they clenched around his hip bones instead. Something was pooling in the pit of my stomach, and it was something unfamiliar. I had never felt like this before these skeletons came crashing into my life.

Almost quite literally.

He finally broke away, and I took in a deep gasping breath, my chest heaving upward. He wasn't finished though, burying his face in the crook of my neck. His free hand wrapped itself in my hair and gave a sharp tug to the right. In my shock, I moaned.

I fucking _moaned_.

“listen ta ya,” he murmured against my throat. I could feel his fangs pressing against me. “ya sound so sweet.”

“Red,” I panted, “stop.”

“i will,” he grumbled. He slid his tongue along my throat. “jus' wanted ta hear ya say my name like that again.”

He untangled himself from me, backing away. My body slumped forward, and I caught myself. After a couple of minutes of deep breathing, I slid off the counter, feeling the slight jolt up my legs as I hit the ground. I held a hand to my chest, feeling my heart racing through my fingers. He was watching me, his eye lights still red as he ran his crimson tongue over his teeth.

I shakily made my way over to the food and started gathering everything together. I turned to face him, saying, “Since you're here, and you did that, then you can help.”

He shrugged and came closer. “fair 'nough.” He paused at my back and leaned down. “by the way, ya smell fuckin' _delicious_.”

With that comment whispered against my ear, he left, food and seasonings trailing after him in red magic.

I stared after him, my jaw hanging to the floor. My face had heated so much I thought I felt myself starting to sweat a little bit.

Sans entered the room as I shook myself. I sighed as he came closer, but he paused, his eyes wide. I didn't look up at him, my face surely as red as Red's turtleneck. He cleared his throat, though it sounded more like a laugh than it did him just getting some make believe phlegm from his bullshit throat.

“fun morning, eh?” he said as he headed for the coffee pot.

“Shut up.”

He laughed loudly as I stormed out of the kitchen, grabbing my coffee on the way. I went into the dining room to see all of the skeletons gathered around the table, bouncing in their seats at the array of food Red set on the table. Blueberry and Papyrus even looked excited, clapping their covered hands like little children.

Lord help my heart, this was so cute.

I stood off to the side, smiling, watching as the boys attacked the food before them. I wasn't as surprised anymore as they loaded their plates, heaping piles of everything. I took notice Stretch didn't take any fried potatoes, and Red seemed to shy away from the eggs. I didn't know if it was because they were scrambled, or if he just didn't like them. I made a mental note to ask him to clarify that later. G grabbed a good portion of bacon, his face serene as he chewed on a piece while he continued helping himself.

I took a sip of coffee, heading to my usual spot between Red and Ink. As I sat, Ink made a strange noise that sounded like a cat being drowned in water. Red laughed, drawing the attention of the others. When all eyes landed on me, I looked down, frowning.

“someone had fun this morning,” G chuckled lowly.

“WHY IS THAT SO FUNNY?” Blueberry demanded, spearing eggs onto his fork. “IF JEWEL WANTS TO HAVE FUN WHILE SHE COOKS, EVEN SOMETHING AS GREASY AS THIS, I SAY LET HER.”

“yeah,” Sans said from behind me, “i agree.”

I crouched lower into my chair, my face flaming. The poor skeleton didn't know what he meant by that, bless his innocent soul. Sans took his seat and began piling his plate up while I moved around and did the same. Breakfast was eaten, and everyone seemed in high spirits. 

Sans was watching me from his spot at the table, his eyes on my face. Every couple bites, I'd look up at him through my lashes, and he'd still be staring. I kept eating, glancing around the table and making sure everyone had their fill. At this point, they were all just talking and taking smaller bites of food or pushing their plates away.

I stood up to gather the dishes.

“YOU COOKED BREAKFAST,” Papyrus said, standing from his seat. He picked up Sans's plate as he continued, “BLUE AND I WILL DO DISHES.”

“Oh, Papy, you don't have to...”

“NONSENSE,” Blueberry said from my left. I looked over at him as he picked up Red's plate. “I, THE MAGINIFICENT BLUEBERRY, WILL NOT LET YOU DO ALL THOSE DISHES AFTER THE DELICIOUS MEAL YOU COOKED.”

“I CONCUR.”

I rolled my eyes and held up my hands in mock surrender. “Alright. At least let me help gath–”

“don't argue with 'em,” Stretch chuckled as they meandered into the kitchen. “my bro won't take it, and neither will paps.”

“agreed,” Sans snorted.

Papyrus poked his head back into the room. “GET UP, YOU LAZYBONES. THERE'S A _SKELETON_ OF WORK TO BE DONE! NYEHEHEHEH!”

His laughter followed him as he withdrew. I cracked up as the others groaned and shook their heads. I left the room and went to the front door, sneaking out before the others found me. As I shut the door behind me, I saw a familiar yellow flower lying on the porch.

Curious, I bent down, taking the stem carefully between my fingers and lifting it. There was a post-it note attached to one of the petals that blew in the chilly morning breeze. I plucked it off, careful of the petal it was attached to and held it out so I could see it better.

I wish I could say I didn't see it coming, but I did.

_Eat me, bitch._

I recognized the handwriting as my dad's. I remembered the time Papyrus told me eating these flowers could kill a human, especially if eaten in mass quantities. I snorted, crumpling the note in my hand and tossing the flower aside. If he wanted to play petty, he could play petty.

He forgot I was his daughter.

I could play the same game.

I sighed. I wouldn't, though. With my dad and I now at odds, things could get bad. The monsters knew what was going on, and they all backed my decision. They didn't want to be treated like this; not like they had to live like slaves or some shit. They didn't want to go back Underground; not after fighting it for so long.

With all of the monsters at my side, Sans thinks I should be okay. I'd rather have my skeleboys than live with toxic people. I didn't want the family business. I didn't even want the same last name. They weren't parents, they weren't family. If anything, my grandparents were rolling in their graves watching their children act like this.

I looked back at the house when I heard the door open. Ink stepped out, watching me with a tilted head.

“everything okay, flower?” he asked, coming up beside me.

I held the piece of crumpled paper in my hand tighter. “Fine. What did you need?”

He looked out into the rain, his eyes landing on the flower. It had landed near the first step of the porch, raindrops hitting it with soft pats. Neither of us mentioned it as he turned away from it once more.

“stretch mentioned the other night we needed to take you shopping,” he said, bringing and umbrella from behind his back. “and i agree.”

“So we're going shopping?”

“we're going shopping.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If I have to keep dealing with lazy coworkers, someone gonna get punched. LOL.
> 
> Sorry, guys, been super tired lately after work. One of my coworkers has decided she's not going to do her job and pester my managers about going home early and begging for her break and shit. Lord help me, I yelled at her yesterday...twas nice.
> 
> Sorry, hope ya'll enjoyed! <3


	14. More Than Meets The Eye

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ink and I go shopping.  
> I learn much more about Ink.  
> I also feel like something more...

After saying goodbye to the boys, Ink and I headed off into town. The rain stayed its steady drizzle as we made our way through the neighborhood, talking easily. I wanted to ask more of what his life was like before he was...poofed here. But as he held my hand and talked about a few of his art projects, I didn't want to bother him with something that seemed to bother him.

When we got to town, I could feel the malice. My hand stiffened in Ink's grasp, and he simply brought me closer to him, keeping his hand interlocked with mine. I could feel his unease as we passed by humans, each of them glaring their daggers at my back. There were few far and in between that didn't act that way. But the majority of the human population here was on my dad's side.

It made me wonder what my dad had told everyone. I wanted to ask someone, anyone. But with the way things were feeling, I didn't think now was a good time while the wounds were still wide open. Ink led me into a store that held an assortment of clothes and a rabbit monster hopping around assisting her customers and patrons.

When we walked in, she turned. She gave a wide smile and came over to us, her hands clasped in front of her. “Welcome!” she chirped brightly. “You must be Jewel.”

I looked from her to Ink, who was rubbing the back of his head. An assortment of colors were appearing across his nasal ridge as he looked at me sheepishly.

“Tori comes here to get dresses and clothes for her and Frisk,” he explained. “She mentioned your name here the other day and the shop keep said she'd be happy to help.”

The bunny monster clapped her hands happily in front her. “Of course! Just call me Bunny. I know, not very original. But I like it that way.” She turned, motioning for me to follow. “This way, honey.”

We followed her through the store. She hummed as she dug through things, occasionally looking back at me before turning and digging some more. I thought the store was small, but it was jam packed with a whole bunch of clothes. They ranged from small children's clothes to dressed fit for ninety year old ladies. There were racks and shelves full of them. Boys, men, girls, women. Just like any department store, she even had dressing rooms.

She made small talk as she dug, asking me if I was in school or what I was doing. She mentioned she made all the clothes herself, and had been doing so since she was a baby bunny. I was honestly impressed; making all of these and keeping it stocked like this must take hours upon hours of hard work.

“There, I think we have what we need,” she finally huffed after an hour of digging through everything. “Ink, do you have everything?”

“right here, bunny,” he said. He waved his hand and brought the clothes closer encased in his colorful magic.

She once again clapped her hands. “Oh, wonderful!”

She led more over to a room and had Ink place all the clothes on a nearby couch, where he sat. He took out a sketchbook and pencil from his scarf and began doodling, his focus fading out. Bunny looked at me and rolled her eyes before winking.

“Men can't focus on this stuff,” she whispered theatrically. “Now, let's start with the pants!”

I spent the next three hours going through every article of clothing she picked out. Every time I changed, I came out to show it off to her. She would either hum in approval and nod, or shake her head and wave me back into the dressing room. At one point, I was about to rip my hair out of my skull. Before I noticed a dress I hadn't seen her grab.

It was a black skater dress. It had a complete top with a tee shirt design, and that was topped by a lacy material. It cut off around the belly area, where it began to flare out. I picked it up and looked at it, grinning and stifling a laugh. Of all the things...

I put it on quickly, and moved my hair out from under the collar. I paused and looked at myself in the mirror and then opened the curtain. Bunny was talking to Ink about something quietly when I came out and both stopped to stare as I spun in a small circle, keeping my hands at my sides so the skirt didn't flare up too high.

Two red hearts appeared in Ink's eyes as he watched me and Bunny began laughing, clapping excitedly as I did a small curtsy.

“Oh, perfect!” she cried. “I forgot that even existed!”

“the skulls are a nice touch,” Ink murmured fondly. “i like that.”

“I do, too,” I sighed.

I did. I loved the skulls on it. I think maybe it had to do with the sudden fondness I had for a handful of them. There was even a cross bones design on the top, ending down at the tops of my breasts.

“why the long face, rose?” Ink asked.

I looked over at him, raising my eyebrow at the mention of a flower instead of the just the usual endearment. I shook my head and looked at the mirror behind me, turning this way and that. The skirt flared around my thighs as I turned to look at them again.

“With everything I already have, we're up in the hundreds here,” I mentioned. “That's a lot of money; I don't even know how we're paying for it all.”

“we're not.”

“Huh?”

“I told Ink here that Toriel asked me to do this as a favor,” Bunny said, soft smile on her furry face. “She didn't ask me as the queen, she asked me as a friend. Everything is already paid for.”

I blinked. “I...wow. Thank you.”

She giggled, her eyes closing and head tilting. Reminded me of one those animes that Alphys was always watching and going on about. “It's not a problem, honey. Let's get all this bagged up for you to take home.”

I went into the dressing room and got changed. I hung the dress back up and did a little mini dance as I gathered as much as I could and went back out. Bunny went in and gathered the rest, humming as she moved to the front of the store and rung it up. She pulled out money from under the register and placed it in before beginning to bag up everything. There were hundreds of dollars worth of clothes. And I got them all for free.

Thanks to a monster.

Ink waved his hand, the bags being picked up in his colorful, swirling magic. After a bear hug from the purple bunny monster, she waved us off as we walked down the sidewalk, at least a dozen bags of clothes in tow. Thankfully, the rain had stopped.

Ink grabbed my hand in his as we walked. I smiled and lightly swung my arm. People still gave me glares and monsters still smiled, but to me, everything was okay. I had Ink beside me, clothes that I could wear and actually liked. The only thing I needed now was more food. Trying on all those clothes for hours really makes a girl hungry.

“Let's get something to eat,” I suggested. “Acting like a girl makes me hungry.”

Ink laughed and said, “okay, flower. where do ya wanna go?”

“Anywhere but Muffett's or Grillby's.” I groaned. “I love them, and I adore ya'll, but please, I want something other than their food.”

He laughed louder, drawing the attention of the people around us. He shook his head then nodded, yanking my hand lightly and veered us in a new direction. We stopped at a little local shop that reminded me of a fifties diner. Checkered pattern tiles and walls, old style jukebox in the corner, and girls on roller skates bringing out food.

I used to come here a lot in high school to do my homework and be alone. I'd often do my book reviews here, too. Speaking of...

“What kind of books do you have in that library?” I asked as we entered.

We told the hostess for two, her eyes raking over Ink and lowering in a way that had my inner kitten coming out. I clenched his hand a little harder as she led us to a booth in the corner of the diner, putting our menus on the table. With a “subtle” wink at Ink, she sashayed off, purposefully swinging her hips as she walked. I rolled my eyes at her back and turned back to Ink.

He placed the bags beside us, tucking a few underneath the table as he looked at his menu. He perused it, his eye lights changing as he glanced it over. I saw a red circle and a blue triangle, something like an off orange square. I was really interested with his eye lights. They were always really unique.

“all kinds,” he said absently, looking over the paper. “everything from mark twain to whatever new 'porn' is out these days.”

I huffed. “So, Fifty Shades of Bullshit?”

“ya got it.”

I laughed and looked down at my menu. It was like a genuine copy of what the menu would have looked like years ago, only instead of everything being less than a dollar, they ranged from a little to a lot. I decided on the egg salad and a Coke, maybe a milkshake after I was done.

A waitress came up, sliding to a stop easily as she held out a pad and pen. She was chewing gum, but not obnoxiously as she held it up and ready. “What are ya gonna have, guys?” she asked, popping a bubble.

“i'll have the ham sandwich and orange juice,” Ink murmured, looking over it once more before nodding.

“Ya got it, pumpkin,” she said, smiling and scribbling it down. When she turned to me, she raised a brow and popped another bubble before smiling and pointing at me with the end of her pen. “You're Crowe's daughter, aren't ya?”

I winced and nodded, starting to fold in on myself again. “Yeah, I am...”

She nodded and grinned. “I like you. You know my mom, the librarian who was always giving you suggestions?” I tilted my head and nodded at her. “Just so you know, not all of us are mad at you for what happened. We know he didn't tell the full story. Just said he tried getting justice and you told him it was war. Some of us stand behind you.”

My eyes watered as I gulped loudly. “Thank you.”

“You're not alone,” she said. “What are ya gonna have? I can feel the cook's glare at my back.”

I laughed, dabbing at my eyes with the napkin she handed from the red waist apron she wore. “Egg salad and Coke, please. Milkshake after, if that's okay with Ink.”

“So you're Ink,” she said as she scribbled it down. She stuffed it back into a pocket and nodded, beginning to turn away. “Good to know. Hopefully I get to meet the rest of you!”

She waved and skated off, heading toward the open window to the kitchen. I looked over at Ink who was watching me, smiling. I glared at him as my face flushed. I couldn't help but smile while he reached out to touch my hand.

“see, rose, not everyone is against you,” he murmured. “it may seem like that now, but even some humans know what your dad is doing is wrong.”

“I know,” I muttered. “I'll have to get her name when we get back; I didn't even know the librarian had a daughter. She doesn't talk about her like my mother used to talk about me.”

The waitress came back, carrying our drinks on a tray. She placed the Coke in front of me and a glass of orange liquid in front of Ink. “The cook said not to worry about the bill; he's got it covered for ya guys.”

Both of us looked at each other then back at her. “are ya sure?” Ink questioned warily.

She nodded. “I'm Tabitha. He's Blair. We support you. Everyone who works here does.” She smiled softly. “He remembers a few years ago how you'd come here to get away from your family; he liked you coming here.”

My eyes watered and I brought my hands to my face, pressing the heels of palms against my eyes. It was hard to think that I did have people, actual humans, that supported what I did, what I caused. But apparently, that's what was happening; so far, I had the entire support system of a running business.

I brought my hands away and wiped my eyes with my fingers, smiling. “Thank you. Tell Blair I said thank you to him, as well.”

“No problem, shortcake,” she said, giving me a wink. “I'll bring your food out shortly.”

I had a sudden thought and called out to her before she turned away. When she looked back, I pointed at the hostess, who had been shooting looks over here for the past ten minutes. She looked and nodded, rolling her eyes.

“I'll tell her to back off,” Tabitha muttered. “She's a senior, if you believe it.”

I snorted. “Yeah, well, I have no problems kicking her in the ass if she keeps eye fucking what's mine.”

Ink had been taking a drink of his orange juice when I spoke. He choked, sputtering as it dribbled down his chin. He slapped his hand over his teeth, the orange juice trickling between his fingers. Tabitha laughed, holding a hand over her mouth as she waved and skated away once more. I waved at her back and turned back to Ink, handing him a napkin from the container beside us.

He wiped his teeth and chin, still coughing slightly. “tulip, that was...so uncalled for.”

I shrugged. “If I didn't say it, who was?”

He shook his head. “ya know, you remind me a lot of someone.”

I scowled. “I hate when people say that.”

He sighed, “yeah, i know.”

About ten minutes later, our food was brought to us and we ate. I couldn't help but watch as he studied everything before he bit into it. He even studied the contents of his cup before he drank it. I ate my sandwich in quiet as he continued this pattern, studying and watching it. When the cheese on his sandwich began to stretch, he grunted.

I laughed. It kept going before he stopped and pulled at it with his fingers, wrapping it in a mini cheese ball and eating it that way. I placed my egg salad down, wiping my fingers off before taking a drink of my Coke.

I was bothered by something, though. Anytime I looked at Ink, I couldn't help but think of the time we were in my room while he was painting. He had talking about having to protect the others' timelines, their homes and alternate universes, or they would be destroyed. And I couldn't help but wonder who would want to destroy something so amazing?

Others had created these universes, had thought them up and made them real. Who would want to do something so cruel?

“somethin' on your mind, flower?”

I looked up at him. He was studying me now, his sandwich almost gone and his juice half full still. I slumped a little bit, sighing.

“Honestly...”

“you're thinking about what i said last time, while painting your room,” he murmured.

His eye lights had gone back to the white ovals. I nodded, and he looked away, seeming conflicted. He didn't seem like he didn't want to tell me, but he also looked like he was worried about what I would think. I could feel the indecision stirring within him. I reached out and touched the back of his hand, my fingers brushing over the surprisingly smooth bone.

He looked over at me, looking a little sad. “there was another one, who also lived within the void.” He looked at his food. “but he lived in the anti-void. while mine was full of life and happiness while i watched these adventures, his was empty.”

I frowned, watching as Ink wrung his hands together. He didn't look happy in the least. In fact, he looked completely crestfallen.

“i wanted to help him, but he didn't like me much,” he continued. “it was like he computerized, made to hate. made to want to destroy everything i wanted to protect. he always had these error messages popping up on him. and if he got flustered enough, or even mad enough, he'd shut down completely. then reboot again.” He chuckled humorlessly. “everything was a puppet; hell, he could make puppets.”

I watched him as he talked. He was waving his hands, much like I did. His eye lights were still white, but they seemed to change every now and again. While he talked, they would occasionally change from his flower back to white and to the oval. They seemed to switch back and forth as emotion took over.

“he hated the alternate universes,” he muttered, taking a drink of his juice. “he didn't call them that, either. bugs, glitches. that's what he referred to them as. he utterly detested them.”

“That's terrible,” I murmured.

“error was like that,” Ink sighed. “i wish it was different. i hope he's ok.”

He slouched in his seat. He looked downtrodden, like part of him had been left back in that void. I stroked the back of his hand absently, thinking to myself. Was he made like that? Did someone think him up, too? I couldn't think of why someone would do that, just destroy that which someone made.

Ink withdrew his hand and stood, looking at his phone. I lifted a brow once more, grinning.

“When did you guys get so techy?” I asked, moving to get out of the booth.

“when papyrus realized we needed to communicate more,” he groaned. “he sends a group message at least three times a day.”

As if on cue, his phone dinged. He glanced at it again and sighed, showing me the message that popped up on the screen.

**From: Papy-Classic To: Me 4:18 PM**  
**WHERE ARE YOU WITH THE HUMAN? THE OTHERS ARE BEGINNING TO BE ANNOYING.**

I laughed, waving over Tabitha. She held a finger as she helped another table and frantically scribbled down their order. The people at the table turned to see where she was looking as she continued writing down their order. Four of them sat there. One I had gone to school with, and she narrowed her eyes at me as they locked on mine.

The other three however, all smiled kindly at me and even lifted their hands in small waves. The girl I knew hissed at them, something that made Tabitha stop and say something that made the girl blush and look away. The other three seemed to apologize for her as Tabitha took her stuff and brought it to the window to Blair. She dropped off the sheet of paper and headed over to us.

“Sorry 'bout that,” she said, looking over her shoulder as she slowed to a stop in front of us. “I guess she knows you and you acted like some bitch in school.”

I rolled my eyes. “I kept to myself because no one wanted to be around me. Which is why I was here a lot. Are you sure we don't have to pay?”

She nodded a few times, her face serious. “Absolutely. Blair said he had it covered.” She placed a hand on my shoulder as Ink gathered everything up in his magic. “We got your back, Jewel. Don't worry; if your dad comes here, or your mom...hell, if any of them come here, we'll kick 'em right out. They never tip well anyway,” she added with a wink.

I laughed, wrapping her up in a hug. “Thanks again, Tabitha.”

“No problem, girl,” she said, returning the hug. She pulled back and motioned with her chin at Ink. “Looks like lover boy is ready to go.”

I glanced over at him as he shuffled his feet, trying not to look impatient and failing miserably. I smiled and looked back at Tabitha. “Yeah, the others are getting anxious, too. I'll talk to you later.”

As I turned to go, she grabbed onto my arm, a sly smile on her face. I recognized the look from G and Edge, watching as her eyes flashed.

“What's it like, with five of them?”

“What's...what like?” I was lost.

“You know...the sex?”

If I'd had a drink, I'd have spit it in her face or choked on it. I flushed furiously, the heat traveling from my face down my neck. I looked away and coughed a little, clearing my throat. Tabitha seemed to catch on and giggled like a school girl who learned the dirtiest secret from the school nerd. I guess it wouldn't have been far off.

“Gotcha. Well, catch ya later!”

She called out to Blair, who waved at me as Ink and I headed out the door. I waved back and looked out around us. The rain had stopped while we were at Bunny's shop, but had picked up again while we were inside the diner. It was only a little heavier than what it had been, but it was still no more than a heavy drizzle.

He brought out the umbrella, opening it and holding it over us as we made our way through the town. We didn't say anything, the high pitch hum of his magic and the sound of the rain hitting the umbrella and the areas around us the only noise. He kept the bags of clothes close enough to us that they wouldn't be caught in the rain.

We made our way through the neighborhood, all eyes on us. For the first time in days, I didn't feel like I had to hide anything. I was proud to be out with my skeleboy. Well, one of them. I straightened myself as a lot of the older people around us seem to do some cliché gasp, grabbing their chest or their stupid fluffy football or something.

We approached the house, where all of my skeleboys were waiting. None of them moved, just seemed to watch as Ink and I approached. Each of them wore a smile on their face, relaxing into their usual postures. All of them were standing alike, with their hands in their pockets. Stretch, G and Red were smoking, the cigarette butt's between their teeth.

I waved at them and looked at Ink, giving him a kiss on his teeth before turning and taking off for the house. I heard him whine, but I didn't feel anything negative about it. Instead, I felt a lightheartedness that I hadn't felt back at the diner. I felt like his soul had been calling out for me, and I had helped, somehow. I didn't know how, but I did.

I made it to the porch and each of them surrounded me, holding me between them. Ink was the only one who didn't, giving me a wink himself before vanishing in his colorful smoke, my clothes taken with him. I smiled and fought off the temptation to burrow myself deeper into their holds, the distinct smell of each of them permeating the air around me.

“glad yer home safe an' sound, sweetheart,” Red murmured softly, pressing his teeth to my hair.

“we missed ya,” Stretch muttered grumpily.

I laughed. “I was gone, like, five hours. That's not long.”

“felt like forever to us,” G said.

Sans made a noise of agreement. “five hours is way too long.”

I laughed again. “You guys are completely absurd.”

“let's get'cha inside,” Stretch said. “we wanna hear how your day went.”

I went inside with my soulmates, pausing at the door briefly to see the flower, riddled with rain water, still lying on the ground in front of the step. I ran back and picked up, tearing the petals off and throwing them and stem into the rain once more.

I wasn't going to let my dad get the best of me. I ran back inside and closed the door, heading through the living room to sit on the couch beside Red. I rubbed my arms, the house a little chillier than when I left. He glanced over and watched for a moment before a red hue covered his nasal ridge. After shifting around for a moment, I felt something warm wrap around me, something fluffy tickling my cheek.

He had wrapped his hoodie around me. My heart seemed to melt as I burrowed into it deeper, the smell of smoke and mustard taking over my senses. The smell of something earthy once more filled my nose and I took in a deep breath, listening as Red chuckled and wrapped his arm around me.

I told them how the day had gone, starting from the glares I'd been receiving all the way up to talking to Tabitha. I left out the part where she asked me how the sex was; I don't think I could handle that right now. They listened intently, none of them moving from their spots as I talked. At one point, even Papyrus and Blueberry came and joined, sitting on the floor like children being read a story. Blueberry's eye lights were the big cyan stars, while Papyrus looked content just watching me talk.

They laughed and glowered and groaned. They were so expressive with how they were, it was amazing to me just how they could be.

I could feel myself falling in love. But I didn't want to risk saying anything just yet. Even when I saw their eye lights go to collective hearts once more in their magical colors, I continued, not even pausing to take a breath. I didn't tell them about the dress I found in the mass of clothes; I would have to tell Ink to keep that a secret, too.

I talked about Tabitha, I talked about my thoughts. Ink had come down at some point and I held my finger to my lips, smiling. His eye lights changed to a green question mark and a yellow triangle before the question mark changed shape and color to his red exclamation point. He grinned and nodded. And no one caught the exchange.

The rest of the night was spent snuggling into the arms of my skeletons and Red's hoodie.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I went through and edited each chapter from "Edge" to "Red". I tried, and failed. It just didn't seem right so I fixed it up. I'll be posting as much as I can, given the time frames for work.
> 
>  
> 
> **Hope you enjoyed! <3**


	15. Bond Be Damned

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Can't sleep, so I find the basement and Sans
> 
> Plus, I finally check all my voicemails.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For those that have read this far, thank you for reading!
> 
> Comment and stuff, love reading those! They make me smile, and I could sure use a lot of those right meow~
> 
>  
> 
> **Enjoy! <3**

I couldn't sleep.

The green numbers on the clock mocked me, reading that it was at least one thirty in the morning. For the hundredth time, I tossed onto my other side, burying my face in my pillow. My arm flopped out, smacking against the sheet. It made a soft thump as I huffed out an annoyed breath. Maybe some TV would help.

I gathered a small fleece blanket that G had gotten for me a couple days prior and wrapped it around my shoulders as I got out of bed. I left my room and tiptoed past all the boys' bedrooms, avoiding the squeaky parts of the stairs as well as I could. When I landed on the final step, I paused to listen for any noise.

There was a small hum that I caught as one of my mates. It was like an annoying bee at the back of my head. Curious, I thought for a moment before feeling something well up inside me. It was similar to my soul becoming something like a compass. I let it lead me to another set of stairs, ones I didn't even know were here.

I looked down the corridor. I led down to a basement, with no lights on to light the way down. I furrowed my brows; there was still light showing the way down the stairs so I didn't have to fall and break my neck. After all, what's the worst that could happen?

I moved my hand along the wall as I descended the stairs, trying to find a railing or something. I guess because they're monsters, they don't really have to worry about light and stuff like that; they can easily use their magic to light the way. Their eye lights alone could do it for them. At least in my opinion.

I tapped my foot a few times after the last stair to make sure it really was the last before I continued on my path. I kept my hand on the wall, sliding along and hoping I didn't hit some secret light switch. I saw there was a light on toward the end of the hallway I found myself in, and I heard someone muttering. The hum at the back of my skull grew louder, the closer I got to the room.

I finally drew close and peeped around the corner. My eyes nearly became the size of their eye sockets as I studied the pure white room with all the posters and books. There were things set up, little models of this and that spread out through the room. Notebooks were thrown abandoned and there were books open with random scraps of paper on it.

Sans sat with his back to me, a book open in front of him and I could hear pen scribbling on paper. He would occasionally stop when he looked up at the book, running his finger across the page as if to follow a sentence. Then he'd go back to scribbling something down. As I went to step further into the room, he swiveled in his seat and looked over at me.

He was wearing glasses. Be still, my fucking heart.

He seemed to relax when he saw it was me and smiled at me. Granted, the guy always had a smile, but it was a true smile. There was a difference with him, I'd noticed. He waved me into the room and turned back to his book. I came into the room, looking around me and definitely keeping away from the models.

Was that a Tesla coil?

“hey, princess, what're ya doing down here?” he asked, scribbling a little more in his notebook. “it's late.”

“I couldn't sleep,” I sighed. “I don't know why.”

“hm,” he muttered. He put his pen down and turned to look at me, taking his glasses off and setting them beside the book. “maybe you're just lonely.”

I gave a short “Ha!” before standing before him. He watched me with a mischievous smile, his eye sockets lowered. It was amazing what skeletons could do to a girl, lemme tell you.

“It's hard to be lonely,” I groaned, sitting before him. I wrapped the blanket tighter around me, the floor cool under my butt. “I have one of you around all the time.”

“then you're lonely.”

I rolled my eyes. “What are you talking about?”

“you just answered your own question,” he explained. “one of us is always around, so when we're not...”

I sighed. I figured that may have been the problem. I was so used to having the skeleboys around that being by myself was off putting, to say the least. There was just a quiet there, one I had before them. It was haunting, reminding me of the times I really had been alone. Whether it'd been recent or from growing up. Sometimes even around people, it was like I was truly alone.

But when they came...it all changed. I wasn't alone anymore. Hell, it was like I had to have permission to be alone. Hell, even Papyrus and Blueberry always managed to somehow stick around even when the boys went off to do their own thing.

There was a time where I would have to beg just my parents alone to give me attention. For a couple years, I used to rebel against them in every way I knew how just to get some type of attention. I thought then that any type was better than none.

But now, I walk into a room and five pairs of eye lights look right at me. I don't even have to do anything but talk, and they give me their undivided attention. If I walked by them, they would reach out to graze my arm or something. Anything, like they had to be near me at all costs.

It was nice.

“I get it,” I said lowly.

He nodded, locking his fingers together over his stomach. I looked around the room again and noticed a bunch of random things were scattered. There were a couple of tall cages. One even had a leash attached to it. There were notes and blueprints hung up on the walls all over the place. One blueprint caught my eye and I stood up again, walking over to it.

It was the machine that exploded the same day I met Sans. I saw numbers and notes written all over it with arrows pointing to random spots on the machine, different names for the parts. I looked back him, his face a mask. His smile had turned down as he watched me study the blueprint on the wall in front of me.

“What were you really doing that day?” I asked him. “Ink said he's the protector of these alternate universes. I don't even understand how they can exist, or whatever the wording is for it. But something isn't adding up.”

Through the bond, I could feel regret almost as soon as the words left my mouth. He didn't say anything, rubbing a hand over his face. It was then I saw how tired he looked. I didn't know how it was possible, but it looked like he was developing dark circles under his sockets. His body sagged more than it usually did and he looked like he could pass out at any moment.

He let out a long sigh, like he had known it was going to come up but had hoping it wouldn't. A part of me felt bad that I had said anything, but the other part of me knew I'd needed to ask. There was something not adding up here, and I wasn't quite sure what it was. I wasn't big into science in school, and math was nothing but alien speak to me.

But I wanted to know what he was hiding. Especially since it had mostly been a shot in the dark.

“i don't wanna talk about it, princess,” he said finally, his face in his hands. “it's hard enough knowing i failed; i don't wanna think about it right now.”

I didn't press it. I can see where he was coming from. So instead of asking or demanding anything more, I walked back over to him and sat in front of him once more. I placed my chin on his patella and looked up at him through my lashes. He was gazing down at me.

“Are you okay?” I asked softly.

He chuckled. “i don't know. i have one other version of my baby brother and four other versions of myself living under the same roof. red has been getting a little off...he's jealous,” he corrected himself. “he's getting jealous. that's the biggest problem i've been waiting for. “ He leaned forward and placed his forehead against mine. I closed my eyes as he did. “i guess i'm just worried.”

“About what?” I murmured.

“that you'll be gone.”

That shocked me into opening my eyes. There were light blue tears at the corner of his sockets. His eyes had closed now, and I could hear the faint rattling of his bones as he shook. His teeth looked like they were clenching together, which was hard to tell since...you already know that. His brow plates were knitted together like he was trying so hard to fight off the dark thoughts looming at the back of his mind.

“i'm scared frisk will reset,” he groaned out finally. “no one will remember ya but us. and it will take the worst toll imaginable. i couldn't do it.”

I didn't say anything, just watched as he tried fighting off the tears. With Papyrus as a baby brother growing up, I wondered just how often he had sat by himself in his room. Worried and crying, wondering how the next day will go. Wondering if they'll ever catch a break.

It broke my heart.

I stayed where I was while he silently cried, his forehead pressed against mine. At some point, he moved off the chair, landing on his knees in front of me and wrapping me in his arms. The cool air hit as the blanket fell off my shoulders and I wrapped my arms around his shoulders, burying my face in the hood of his jacket.

I could feel his bones rattling together as he shook. I rubbed his spine through his hoodie. His hands tightened around my waist and he made an odd noise in the back of his throat. It almost reminded me of not too long ago, when I had grasped onto one of G's ribs. His body shuddered beneath mine.

Before I could think twice, I was moved back against the desk behind me. The wood was cold, seeping through my clothes as Sans drew closer to me. His breathing was labored, but he had stopped shaking and crying. For the most part with the shaking anyway. He drew close enough that any move on either part could press us together in all the right places.

“so this is how red felt,” he murmured. His whole demeanor changed then, like we hadn't just talked about me disappearing on him or the others. A blue tongue poked out from between his teeth, running over them slowly. “let's see how he got you that way, princess.”

I went to ask him what he meant when he kissed me. His teeth pressed against my mouth, pushing me back a little with force. I felt my body go lax against him as he brought his hand up and wrapped it around my throat. I knew he could easily choke me into unconsciousness, but he didn't. His phalanges were cool against my skin and they gripped tightly.

I felt my back arc against him. He hummed against me, his bones humming beneath me as he used his other hand to grip my waist. He used such force that I already knew I'd have a bruise there tomorrow. He hand flexed against my throat and I reflexively took in a huge gasp of air.

His tongue invaded my mouth, the tangy taste of ketchup destroying my senses. I could feel that heat pooling in the pit of my stomach again and I went to clench my knees together, my heart racing in my chest. I let out a whimper as Sans pulled away, not moving far, just enough to gaze at me with lowered sockets.

His head moved, his hand around my neck moving downward slowly. His head bent, his tongue running along the pulse point in my throat. I gasped, my hands clenching his hoodie tight. His magic tingled against my skin, the trail stopping just below my chin. His hand had traveled down enough to cover my breast, his hand engulfing it.

I let out a breathy moan as he continued, my knees nearly knocking together. I clenched my thighs together while he continued, his thumb rolling around the areola, just grazing around my nipple. He panted against my neck as my grip turned into a lifeline onto his jacket.

His hand dropped away and he pulled back. Both of stared at each other, panting, Little beads of light blue sweat dotted his forehead as he closed his eyes. He took in a deep breath through his nasal passage before blowing it out again. I released his jacket, my body shaking as I drew my knees up and placed my forehead on them, trying my best to breathe evenly. My heart was still racing, and I still felt an awful ache...

“he's right, ya know.”

I looked up again, watching Sans wipe off his forehead with the sleeve of his hoodie. He stared at me with, not moving and studying me right back. I didn't want to ask, but I opened my mouth anyway.

“Who's right about what?” I managed to get out. Was that really my voice?

“ya smell delicious.”

He said it so seriously, there wasn't any joking on his face. I could my face flame up again, so I buried my face in my knees again. I heard his clothes rustle as he moved, and I felt his hands cup my face. He brought it back up and placed his forehead on mine again, a gentle smile on his face.

“bond be damned,” he muttered. “this's taking too long.”

I let out a weak laugh, even that coming out breathy. He pressed his teeth to my forehead in a kiss, and I closed my eyes. I don't know how long we sat there. At one point he moved, leaning his back against the desk and bringing my head to lay on his shoulder.

I sighed, closing my eyes. Within moments, I was asleep.

**

G walked into the lab in the morning, pausing in the doorway and studying the scene before him. Classic's head was leaned back against the desk, a pleased smile on his face as he snored away. He saw Jewel leaning against him, her chest rising and falling with deep breaths. There was a blanket placed over both of them, covering them for the most part. A quick study showed they were both still dressed.

He chuckled softly and left the lab, heading back upstairs and heading for the living room. Stretch was there, his head bobbing up and down as he smoked a cigarette. They were the only ones awake, not including Blueberry and Papyrus. They were in the kitchen, banging pots and pans around while they made breakfast together.

He didn't want to think of the scary concoction they were creating in there. The thought alone of what they could make made a shiver crawl up his spine.

He sat on the chair opposite Stretch. The other skeleton didn't really even acknowledge him, just glanced at him while he pulled out his own smokes. As he lit one up, Stretch blew out one of his own, leaning back in the chair and using his hand as a rest for his skull.

“take it you found 'em, too?” he said lazily.

G nodded, leaning back in his own chair as smoke billowed out of his nose like a dragon. “yup. you cover them?”

“nope.”

“who did then?”

“i'm guessing sans did,” Stretch sighed, bringing his cigarette back to his teeth. After he inhaled and blew it out once more, he glanced at G from the corner of his eye. “what was he doing?”

“he was trying to figure out how jewel used magic,” Ink said, coming up beside them. He was dragging his broom behind him, letting out a huge yawn. “he's been working on it for a while. but he isn't coming up with much.”

As Ink sat on the couch, Red came into the room, rubbing his nasal ridge as he made his way over to his usual spot by the window. He plopped down into the chair and lit up a cigarette, the smell of his Marlboro's filling the air as the smoke billowed out of his mouth. It was quiet minus the sounds of Blueberry and Papyrus talking in the kitchen while they cooked. 

“well,” Red finally said, his voice raspy with sleep still, “we know she mentioned that she was the descendant of one of the sages that locked us under.”

Stretch was already shaking his head. “think of the generations that must have passed since then. the magic alone should have dulled and fizzled out into nothing.”

“that's not necessarily true,” Ink argued. “there could still be traces of it within her, in any of them. think of when she used it.”

G hummed. “she did use it during a time of high stress, but that's then. it's not like she can summon it as easily as the rest of us. if we asked her to use now, chances are high that she wouldn't be able to do it at all.” He rubbed his forehead with his free hand before ashing his cigarette. “as aggravating as it is, we just have to try and study more on it.”

No one said another word on the matter as the obnoxious pair came into the room. Papyrus was rubbing his mittens on his apron and glancing around at them. Probably looking for his brother. He sighed and shook his head, heading back into the dining room. Blueberry watched him go before turning back.

“BREAKFAST IS READY.” He took a look around as well. “WHERE ARE THE HUMAN AND SANS?”

“sleepin',” Red grumbled irritably. “leave 'em be.”

They all got up and went into the dining room after Blueberry. G stayed behind, stubbing out his cigarette and finishing off Red's, stubbing that one out as well. As he stood, he felt his soul tug slightly, as though trying to tell him something. He looked around, his eyes landing on Jewel as she sleepily trudged her way up the last steps of the basement.

Her ponytail was slightly askew, hanging lower on her head than normal from sleeping against a desk. The blanket that covered her and Sans was wrapped around her clothes, which were wrinkled and a little looser than her usual ones. As she came closer, he took in a breath...and nearly choked.

She smelled just like she had the prior morning after Red had messed with her in the kitchen. He could feel his own skull begin to heat up as she seemed to finally notice him. He placed his hand over his mouth and cleared his throat. She gave him a smile and chuckled.

“I already know,” she murmured, her voice rough with sleep. “Come on, let's go eat.”

Before she moved, she stretched her arms above her head, careful not crack any bones in front of him. When she lowered them, she reached around and rubbed the middle of her back, grimacing. After about thirty seconds, she groaned.

“I'm never sleeping against that thing again,” she muttered unhappily.

G chuckled as he came closer, pausing by the doorway to lean close to her. “i'll give ya a back massage if ya want,” he whispered. “my hands are good for more than just magic, angel.”

His only reply was a strangled squeak before she was rushing past him into the dining room. He laughed loudly as he followed, taking his usual seat. Red and Ink were already fighting over who got pets first as she sat down, her face red as a tomato. He glanced over at her every now and then, but it was like she refused to meet his gaze.

She was definitely a challenge. And he was damned if he didn't find that hot as fuck.

She reminded him a lot of his own Frisk. Unlike the Frisk here, she'd already been grown and...developed. Nothing had ever come between them, just their usual friendship. They bickered and horsed around a lot, but nothing sexual would have ever come from that. Frisk had more up on the Surface in his timeline that these guys' did.

He wondered how she was doing now. What happened to their alternate universes when they disappeared from them? Was it like they never existed? Or did the monsters from those universes try to find them? If it was the latter, he could imagine how Frisk was taking everything. She was already on a rocky boat when she fell.

He mentally shook himself as he watched everyone getting up to go. As they were leaving, Sans entered, looking much better than he had over the last few days. G studied him as he sat beside the taller version of himself, watching Jewel interact with the others.

“do you miss it?”

When Sans spoke, it took a moment for G to realize what he was talking about. He sighed and stood himself, the smaller one looking over and up at him. Their eye lights locked for a small moment before G had to look away. While they were all the same person, technically, Classic was still the strongest out of all them.

“sometimes,” G finally answered. “i haven't thought about them much. but when frisk came by the other day...”

“i get it.”

G nodded. He knew the other one got it. It would be the same if they all had ended in another universe. G patted Classic's shoulder as he passed, heading out.

“get some rest today,” he called over his shoulder. “i'm gonna take over in the lab!”

“got'cha.”

G passed by the group of them, watching as Red and Ink seemed to shrink under Jewel's gaze. Neither were looking at her and both looked kind of grumpy. He chuckled as he passed and headed down to the basement, entering the lab and heading to his usual spot, picking up Classic's notes as he passed his desk.

He began to brew a pot of coffee before he sat, reading over the notes. It was time to get started.

**

“You both need to take turns and stop bickering like children,” I grumbled at Red and Ink. “Honestly, the two of you are being completely ridiculous.”

“but...”

“sweetheart...”

“Nuh-uh,” I interrupted them both, holding up a finger. “If I have to, I won't give either of you any kind of pets.”

They both whined, Ink the loudest as he nearly jumped onto the couch and nuzzled against your cheek apologizing. I rolled my eyes as Stretch chuckled from his spot on the opposite couch where he was flipping through channels on the television. I stole a glance at him and then down at Ink.

“Are you two done?”

“entirely!”

“yeah, i guess.”

They both replied at the same time. Red took the seat on your other side as Sans came into the room and sat beside Stretch. This was how the late morning and early afternoon went, watching TV and listening to them argue over statistics on whatever they decided to watch. I scrolled through my phone before it popped up with a caller.

I stared in confused horror as my dad's name popped up on my screen. Before I could decide what to do, Red swiped the phone from my hands and ignored the call, putting my phone in his jacket's pocket. I whined in complaint, but he only shot me a side glance, his eye lights red instead of white. I pouted, facing the screen, but didn't say anything or make another noise. I didn't see a point in doing so.

My phone made a noise and a loud vibration. He'd left a voicemail instead. My stomach dropped to my feet as he pulled out the phone again and dialed in my voicemail, putting it on speaker. I put in the password, knowing I had no other choice in the matter.

There were three voicemails from him.

The first one was the day after I'd left with the boys.

_**“I don't know where you went, but you better get back here, little girl. Your mother is worried sick. I don't know why you thought I was being serious. We can work this out. I promise. Just come home.”**_

Red deleted it. The second was from the morning Alphys had called me and I had caught Red and Undyne fighting in the house. It wasn't as pleasant as the first one.

_**“Listen here, you little bitch. I was nice and asked. You need to come home now. I know where you are; I'll come get you my fucking self if I have to. You can't hide from me forever. Just remember that.”**_

Red deleted that one, too, bringing up the final one. I couldn't imagine my dad calling me for any given reason.

I wasn't expecting this.

_**“Jewel, baby, come home.” He hiccuped, his words slurred as he spoke into the phone. He was drunk. I looked at the time and scowled. Why was he drunk at quarter after two in the afternoon. “Please, baby, daddy misses you. I *hic* I'm sorry for how I've been. You know I would never do anything to hurt you, right? Daddy's just a little sad his little baby is trying to pull away from him...”**_

We never finished the voicemail; Red deleted it, his face twisted in disgust. They all wore similar expressions, staring at my phone like it was acid. Sans stood, grumbling under his breath. He went to move up the stairs before turning to look back at me.

“get dressed, princess,” he said. “we're getting you a new phone. Asap.”

Who was I to argue?


	16. Hidden Plans

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sans and I go on a mini date to get me a brand new phone.
> 
> And what's going on behind the scenes at daddy dearest's house?

I took a shower and dressed, Sans standing in the room with me as I finished up putting on my clothes. He studied one of the outfits that I had especially liked from the clothes Bunny had gathered. He nodded his approval, slipping an arm around my waist and kissing me sweetly before ushering me out of the room.

Before we left, Ink took a good look at my outfit before holding up a single finger and poofing, reappearing seconds later with a pair of gladiator sandals. It was that time of the year where it was cold in the morning and late at night, but still quite warm during the day, so long as the sun was out. I slipped on the shoes, and as I was tying them up, I realized why he chose these ones. They were a perfect match to the shirt I was wearing, which was a form fitting fabric that shimmered in the light from the sky. I smiled as Sans grabbed an extra jacket and waved to all the other boys before we left.

Sans pulled his hands up and stuck his hands in his pockets. There was a slight breeze as we walked through the neighborhood, and it made me realize just how far back from people they really made themselves. I wrapped my arms around one of his, placing my head on his shoulder as we walked. He didn't stop, but he hummed as we continued on our way.

Neither of us said anything, and I was okay with that. I wanted to ask what he had been doing exactly, that had made him stay up so late. The way the circles had formed under his eyes, I wonder just how long he'd been up to this. I watched him go upstairs every night. Unless he made his way back down after he realized I was asleep in my own room.

After the long fifteen minute walk, we finally made it into town. It wasn't as busy as it usually was until I remembered it was a school day. School had started like, a day ago. Which is why Frisk had been at home instead of coming over. She'd told Toriel that she'd stay at home and help around the house while the goat monster was teaching her students in the high school.

I nearly smacked my forehead for forgetting that.

We entered a mobile store, all eyes turning to the door. Some people dropped what they were looking at and left, one of them being brazen enough to bump into me. I could feel Sans shift to say something or do something, but my grip on his arm tightened. When he looked down at me, I simply shook my head.

Everyone else rolled their eyes at the people who left and went back to whatever they were doing. The floor boy came over to us, a bounce in his step. He looked well groomed, and he had an extra gleam to his smile when he saw me. Sans glowered at him, moving his one hand from his pocket, effectively detaching me from his arm. I let out a small whine before he wrapped his arm around me shoulder and squished me to him.

He was letting this guy know I was already spoken for. I felt bad for the guy, whose face flushed and he mumbled a small apology before he got down to business.

“How can I help you guys today?” he asked cheerfully.

“we need to get her a new phone,” Sans said, his fingers running through my hair lovingly. “her family is becoming a pain.”

He nodded his understanding. “Crowe's kid, right? Jewel, wasn't it?”

I nodded. “That's me.”

“I get it.” He turned, waving his hand for us to follow. “C'mon, kiddo. Let's get you a new phone. And a new number while we're at it.”

I smiled and we followed him through the store, looking at this phone and that one. Sans took a look at each one, studying it before asking to be shown the next. I followed behind, letting them do the talking while I gazed around the store. There was a little girl off on the other side, watching me with a tiny smile. She waved to me, giggling. I smiled and waved back. Her mother turned to look at who she was waving to and gave me a soft smile in turn.

“what do ya think, princess?”

I looked over at them. They were watching me expectantly, Sans holding a phone in his hands. It looked big, almost top of the line as he held it out to me to study. When I met his eyes, he gave me a subtle wink to let me know he knew I wasn't paying any attention to what they had been saying. I took the phone from him.

It was pretty heavy, with that rose colored case. The screen alone could fit my entire old phone inside of it. I turned it this way and that, looking for the charging ports and the headphone jack. I liked listening to music when I was writing my reviews. Even though I haven't done that since I came to live with the boys...

“I like this one,” I murmured, turning the phone around.

Sans looked at the guy and nodded. “we'll take it.”

“Alright, if you'll follow me...MaryAnne, would you mind ringing these guys up while I go help the others?”

MaryAnne nodded with a happy smile and our helper waved as he wandered off to an older couple with a moody looking teenager. I watched MaryAnne warily. I know some humans were on my dad's side of this whole thing, but there were some, like Tabitha and Blair that were on my side, too. I didn't know if she was middle ground and just didn't care or if she had already chosen a side.

“Alright. Jewel, correct?” she asked, her voice chirpy. I nodded. “Okay, not a problem. I have your account with your mom and dad pulled up. What would you want to do with that?”

“Give them the rest of the month,” I said after I thought on it for a moment. “After that, I want service cut off. I'm gonna change onto my own plan without them.”

She clapped excitedly, much like Bunny had the other day. “Oh, I love it!” She leaned closer. “Between us, they tried coming in the other day and taking over your account or something. I didn't know why until I really listened in on the rumor mill.” Her eyes and smile softened. “Honestly, I don't think you'd ever hurt a soul. You're too precious and kind.”

“that's what we've been saying,” Sans agreed, wrapping his hand around mine.

My face flushed. Receiving praise from both of them was embarrassing enough, but then I heard murmurs of agreement around the store. At this point, if this got any worse, I would be on fire like Grillby. I covered my face in my hands, the blush creeping across my neck and ears and down to my chest. This was the worst part about this.

I felt a hand on my shoulder and looked up again, seeing the guy that helped us earlier giving me a huge smile. “She's right! Tabitha came in the other day and talked about how we need to help each other. While your father is tearing people and monsters apart, you're here trying to keep us all together.” He looked down at Sans and held up a fist. Sans sniggered and fist bumped him. “Despite the differences – both seen and unseen – you've kept yourself to a higher standard, even when everyone turned their backs to you because of your name alone.”

I felt arms wrap around one of my legs and looked down at the little girl who had been waving at me, hugging my leg close to her tiny body while she looked up. She had bright blonde hair and big hazel eyes, and her smile lit up the room.

“My mommy said you're the best kind of lady!” she said in her small voice. “She got to know monsters, too, and now I have even more friends!”

I gave her a watery smile and sniffled. “T-thank you.”

Everyone gathered around to talk while Sans and I paid for the phone. They MaryAnne handed me a slip of paper with my new number before she snagged it back from me and began scribbling something down. When she handed it back, her neat handwriting was scribbled next to my number with her own. Her name was neatly written next to it.

I gave her a smile and reached over the small display counter to give her a hug. She squeezed me back, humming. When I moved away, Sans had moved back as everyone in the room took the paper and followed MaryAnne's example. They all wrote down their names and numbers on the paper before handing it off to me to take home. I folded it up and stuck it in my pants pocket, my fingers running over the denim to make sure it stayed there.

“Call us if you ever need anything,” the little girl's mother said, holding her hand out. I took it, nodding. “Any one of us will help you with anything. Even if you just need to get away from your boneheads for a while.”

Sans cracked up behind me, whooping. “yes! that's what i'm talkin' about!”

I smiled over at him. It was nice seeing him interact with these people. Usually my skeleboys were so reclusive, even little Blueberry and Papyrus hadn't really gone out much since the thing with my dad escalated. None of them really wanted to risk having the two sweet skeles out on their own with my dad lurking in the shadows the like the fucking boogeyman.

We stayed to talk a little longer before Sans tugged on my arm. I looked down at him and he motioned toward the door, hinting at leaving. I said my goodbyes and waved as we left the building. I hummed along the way, a slight bounce to my step. When I turned in a circle, I saw Sans watching me, his eyes on my every move, a true smile on his face. I stopped in the middle of the sidewalk, holding out my hands to him.

“How about we get some food?” I suggested.

When he groaned, he sounded like his agony had finally ended. “thank stars. i'm starving.”

I laughed as he grabbed one of my hands and swung me around, bringing me close and dipping me toward the pavement. My hair brushed the sidewalk, and I looked up at him with some kind of goofy grin on my face. People stared at us. Some made cooing noises, some made jokes and others either walked past silently or made disgusted noises in the back of their throats.

None of it phased me. It was like he and I were the only two as he leaned down further and kissed me, right in front of the crowd. The reactions grew, but I ignored all of them as I threw my arms around his spinal cord, kissing him back with a smile on my face.

When he lifted me back upright, he tugged me along behind him. He headed right for Grillby's. Grillby himself was laughing, shaking his head. His voice still sounded like he was gurgling water, but it didn't sound as harsh as it usually did when he talked human speech. He held the door open as we slipped by him. Sans didn't let go of my hand as he led me to the bar, plopping himself in the same seat Stretch had sat the night he and I had come here.

It reminded me that they really were the same person, just different universes. Here, it was the original. Sans was the original skeleton that was the Judge, the Jury and the Executioner. Stretch was him, too, just in a universe where it was swapped. I recalled Frisk's story, and now I could understand why he was wary as he was around Frisk. To him, Chara was the heroine, and Frisk was the one who killed Blueberry.

The thought made a shiver run up my spine. I wonder how it was for the others in their universes. I knew Ink's story; I knew Sans and some of Stretch's. G and Red still had yet to open up to me. Well, more G than the others. Red had told me a little bit about how home life was and how much of an asshole everyone had been, about his collar and his version of Papyrus.

I sighed as I sat in my spot at the bar. Sans drummed his phalanges against the table as Grillby rounded the bar.

“Just you two today?” Grillby asked me, his gurgled voice sounding a little bit clearer.

“Just us, Grillbz,” I said, looking beside me at Sans.

“What'll ya have today?” he asked, pointedly ignoring Sans.

“Hm. I think I'll just have a salad today. Grilled chicken and no tomatoes on it.” I tapped my lip for a moment before sighing and saying, “Also, my usual drink.”

“You got it, love.” He turned and walked toward the door that led to the kitchen.

Sans scoffed. “what about me, _hot shot_?”

“Burg and fries, extra ketchup with a ketchup to drink,” Grillby hollered over his shoulder before disappearing. 

Sans chuckled. I glanced at him sideways as he shrugged, unashamed. “i used to go to the bar a lot. sue me.”

I laughed and took my phone out of its box. I began fiddling with it, turning it on and setting it up. Sans watched me as I put in numbers I memorized. I took the piece of paper out of my pocket but before I could start putting those numbers in, Sans swiped it from me.

“Hey!” I whined.

He didn't say anything as he pulled out his own phone. He tapped on it a few times and scrolled here and there before turning and tapping some stuff into my phone. When he handed it back, there were five new numbers in my phone. I smiled and continued putting the numbers into my phone one by one, putting their names in after.

“There.” I sighed and put the phone off to the side.

“i'd text everyone real quick and let 'em know it's you,” Sans commented, his eyes on the kitchen door. If I didn't know any better, I'd swear he was a hawk.

“Fair enough.”

While we waited, I picked up my phone again and went through the numbers, picking out my skeleboys. I picked Red first, bringing up a new message.

**From: Me To: Red 2:47 PM**  
**Hey, it's Jewel. Got that new phone!**

I backed out and put in G's next.

**From: Me To: G 2:47 PM**  
**It's Jewel. What're ya doing?**

Next was Ink.

**From: Me To: Ink 2:48 PM**  
**Innnnkkkk!**

Then, Stretch.

**From: Me To: Stretch 2:48 PM**  
**Sans is in your spot.**

I put my phone down as Grillby came out carrying our order. He placed my Coke and salad in front of me. A burger and fries with extra ketchup and another bottle of ketchup was placed before Sans. Grillby went off with a wave to help a couple of clients down at the other end of the bar.

I watched as I mixed my ranch around in my salad as Sans opened the ketchup bottle and didn't bother with his fries before squirting a lot into his mouth. And by a lot, I mean there was a steady stream going for like, a minute straight. It was sickening to watch.

After he was done, he squirted some onto his fries. “so, how are you liking the house so far?” he asked, picking up a fry and chomping onto it.

“It's better than my parents,” I sighed. “I guess I'm still getting used it, though.” I looked down at my salad. “It's weird.”

“what is?” he asked around a bite of burger.

I thought for a moment. “It's hard to think of you guys as the same person, just different bodies,” I finally decided.

He looked at me, studying me before inquiring, “we are all the same.”

“Not entirely,” I sang under my breath before spearing a piece of lettuce and stuffing it in my mouth. After I swallowed the bite, I mixed around the lettuce a little more as I explained. “Think about it. You're you. Red is Red. So on and so forth.” I pointed at him with the prongs of my fork. “You're you, Sans. He might be you with the exact same name and traits – for the most part – in another universe. But he's still just Red. Flirty, an asshole with a bit of a smoking problem.”

He laughed, picking up a few fries and eating them. We continued talking about it, but I didn't go into any further details. I didn't know how to explain myself properly; I'm not a science freak like these guys. If anything, I hated science, even though that's the exact reason I was given these guys.

It was hard to tell him that they all had their own quirks. Like when Ink was focused on something, his eye lights changed gradually. They went from their fun designs to the usual white ovals in his empty sockets. G had a habit of chewing on his middle finger and moving one of his fingers tracing the hole in his palm. Sans liked dozing off a lot more than the others, always fading in and out of conversation at the drop of a hat. Red was usually using his pinky to scratch his tooth absently, or he was always fiddling with his Zippo. Stretch liked to play with his shoelace, and he was always chomping down on a toothpick or sucker if he wasn't smoking.

They may all be the same person, but at the same time, they weren't. At least not to me.

We finally finished and took off, leaving a ten on the bar for Grillby. We waved to him as we left, heading in the direction of home. He held my hand as we walked, his thumb stroking the back of my hand. 

“ya know, your soul is a lot lighter,” he commented as we turned to head up the road to the house.

I looked over at him. “What do you mean?”

He rubbed his chin with his free hand before answering, “souls darken, princess. when someone goes through something traumatic, the soul hides itself; it builds a type of wall. if it's bad enough, sometimes that wall is virtually impenetrable. it could be anything as small as a fight with their parents about who stole a cookie. or it could be something as big as...well...”

“As your father holding a gun to your head,” I finished for him softly.

“remember when i showed you your soul that day in the library?” he asked. I nodded. “your soul wasn't bright. it may have been to you. but to me, i knew; the others would have, too.”

“Why is my soul lighter then?” I asked, confused. “I don't get it. I'm still haunted by all of this. By my dad...”

“because we're here,” he said simply. “and you've met a lot of people who are on your side. your soul recognizes this, and is slowly lowering its defenses, especially with us.”

I nodded slowly, getting what he was saying. As we approached the house, the door flew open, revealing Ink. His paintbrush was missing from his back, and he looked angry. I blinked as he marched from the house over to where Sans and I were walking up the pathway. Then he did something that made me question whether he was really an adult or if he was more childish than I thought.

We stopped as he came over. When he was in front of us, he plopped down in the dirt, crossing his legs and folding his arms over his chest, puffing out his cheeks. He looked like a six year old having a tempter tantrum. When he looked up at us, he met my eyes and turned away, huffing.

“what's your problem?” Sans grumbled, releasing my hand.

Someone cleared their throat and I looked back up to see Stretch in the doorway, partially leaning on Ink's brush. He had on a scowl as he stood up and picked up the brush with ease, heading over to us as I bent down to see Ink. He still refused to look at me.

“someone decided to paint pink dicks all over Red's door,” Stretch said, lighting up a cigarette. Ink grumbled something under his breath. Stretch glared at him while taking a puff and blowing it out in his direction. “wonder who that was.”

I looked from the taller skeleton to the one in question. He still was looking away from me, but his face was covered in swirling colors already. At least he looked embarrassed that he did that. It still took me a lot of effort to not crack up at the fact that there were now pink dicks on Red's door.

I cupped Ink's face in my hand and turned him to face me. He offered no resistance, his eyes darting to look around at anything but me. I waited until he was done acting as childish as he was and met my gaze before I spoke to him.

“Why did you do that?” I asked.

“...because he ate the last of the chips.”

It the most asinine reason, and the last thing I expected him to say that I couldn't help myself; I laughed, covering my face with my free hand. I ran it down before I looked at him again, still chuckling. He looked embarrassed, his face flaming in a rainbow of colors. I sighed.

“Ink, just because he ate the last of something doesn't mean you have to go and paint genitalia in odd colors,” I chided.

“but they were sour cream and onion!” Ink whined. “those are the best kind!”

“nyeh, i prefer bacon macaroni,” Stretch muttered.

“Not the point, boys,” I said. “The point is, you can't just do stuff like that because you don't get your way. We're all going to go inside, and you're going to apologize to Red and fix his door.” When he opened his mouth to complain, I held up my finger. “We'll buy more. Just go and apologize. Stretch, give him his brush back, please.”

Stretch did so begrudgingly, glaring at the shorter skeleton. Ink snatched his paintbrush back, getting up and running back into the house like the hounds of hell were on his heels. The door slammed shut and the three of us stared at it in wonder before Stretch sighed, taking one final puff of his smoke before tossing it.

“let's get inside,” he said, wrapping an arm around my shoulders. Sans took my hand once more as they led me inside. “by the way, those jeans make your ass look fantastic.”

I laughed as we entered the house together.

**

“Are you sure that's what you wanna do?”

Randall Crowe steepled his fingers in front of his mouth, looking at the computer in front of him. He watched as a video played of one of those dirty skeleton monsters, bent his baby down, giving her what could only be described as a kiss. One of his men had been out when he'd seen this, before taking a video and a few photos.

An anger burned within him as he watched this thing touch his daughter. What angered him more was that she was letting it do it to her. He raised her so much better than this. Monsters had ruined his relationship with his town and his parents. Now, it was taking a turn for the worse as he watched his daughter frolicking with these bags of bones.

He glanced at another picture of a skeleton that looked like the first one, only he wore a long fading scarf and had an ink stain on his lower cheek. He had white oval eye lights of some sort as he and his daughter talked about something. There were a bunch of bags underneath the table they were sitting at. He couldn't see anything but Jewel's back, but he could see how the little shit was watching her.

Like she was fucking prey.

Lucas had come right to him after the incident with the larger one of them, with the orange hoodie. How Jewel had clung to that thing like it was a lifeline. How it had defended Jewel, but had almost hurt one of his best friends.

How could she not see it? His heart ached as he thought on his little girl. He could remember tucking her in at night and reading her a bedtime story in a funny voice. He remembered the day she was born, their pride and joy. Aria couldn't bear children, and Jewel had been nothing short of a miracle.

She couldn't see how they would harm someone over something so small as a talk? Lucas had only wanted to ask her something about the day he had lost himself to his violence. Shame should have speared through him like an arrow to the heart, but he felt nothing. He was void of any kind of emotion, and he was happy to keep it that way.

Because of all of this, his marriage was on the rocks. Aria had at first blamed the monsters for taking their girl, and rightfully so. But as time moved, so did her blame. She blamed him for being the way he was. She slept in Jewel's old room, sobbing all night while begging her to come back. It was fucking sickening.

He leaned up and looked over at Lucas and Carter, who were sitting in the chairs opposite of his desk in the office. Sarah and Gloria were there, too, standing behind them. All four of them looked uncertain, fidgeting uncomfortably under his stare.

“Yes, I'm sure,” he finally said. “Jewel should be here with us, and she's off doing...things with those cretins.”

Carter spoke up. “That's the way it's going to be. She's bonded to them; it's how monsters work.”

His glare snapped to the teenager. “And what would you know about that?”

Carter rolled his eyes. “You forget; I go to school with a bunch of monsters. One of the courses they take is about soul-bonding shit. I hear things from them here and there.”

Randall made a noise in the back of his throat as he continued studying the photo and video in front of him.

“It's final. It'll take a while. But I'm determined to get my daughter back; at any cost.” He rubbed his chin, staring at the stats that were also on his screen in a smaller box. “And I think I know _just_ the monster to ask.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> THEORIES. What are y'all's theories? I love those. Those are my favorites. Comment what you think. There's going to be more revealed in the chapters I'm writing now. I just finished seventeen today. Started eighteen not too long ago. Would have posted sooner, but I had a funeral to attend today; high school friend passed away.
> 
> SO, here's this for you.
> 
> BONUS: I made a tumblr just for y'all to ask me stuff and things. I'm still setting it up and stuff, but...https://www.tumblr.com/blog/lollipopskeleton
> 
> Give me a follow and...do tumblr stuff! :'3


	17. LV And Magic

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I get a call and I learn some more about magic and what stats stand for when it comes to the soul. These boys are a lot more useful than just eye candy.

The days passed by slowly. The pattern remained the same, only this time, I would usually fall asleep with one in my bed. I'd fall asleep with one and manage to wake up with another. And they never seemed to wake me in process. I'd fall asleep with Sans and wake up to G rubbing his thumb across my stomach.

We'd head down for breakfast, which was still Muffett's in reality. Then we'd watch TV, and I'd listen to them bicker for several hours. Then lunch with Grillby. Then more bickering. Later in the afternoon, Ink often went off on his own, disappearing into his room. Red told me he often worked on his paintings by himself.

Toriel had been coming by more often, Frisk usually in tow. A few times, Asgore had joined them. When he first met the other skeletons, he'd nearly had a heart attack and attacked a couple of them. They never raised their magic against him, knowing Frisk would defend them. Which she did. Flowey would usually look disappointed, but he was the only one.

It'd been maybe two weeks since I got my new phone. Frisk often sent me pictures of where she had gone recently for her Ambassador travels. Asgore liked talking about plants and gardening. Toriel would send me recipes that she would cook for him and Frisk, always ending it with a winky face. I would laugh and store them away for later use.

Today, all the boys had gone out to visit Undyne and spar with her. She had been bothering them for a while about it. Papyrus had gone with and Blueberry was out grocery shopping. He had asked if I had needed anything and when I handed him a list and my card, he had simply handed me the card back and waltzed out of my room. He left me dumbfounded. When I tried to follow him and give it to him, he had simply told me not to worry about it.

I guess while under Sans's supervision, Papyrus had invested in some really good stocks about a year after they came to the Surface. He sold some of them off, and now they were sitting pretty, along with their leftover gold.

I sat in the living room, curled up in G's leather coat. He had left it here, and I had snagged it the moment I found it. It smelled like cigarettes and the scent of a rain forest after that fresh rainfall. It inhaled the scent like a crack fiend, looking for their next fix. I kept it wrapped around me easily, the coat nearly engulfing me.

I couldn't help but think back on everything. My dad had been quiet, and I hadn't noticed any of the AMM members roaming around. I hadn't really left the house much after we got my phone, preferring to keep to myself. The only other human I truly associated with anymore was Frisk, and even then, she was usually busy with Ambassador stuff.

I looked at my phone and noticed I had missed a call from one of the magazines that I wrote for. I can't believe I completely forgot about that...

I listened to it.

**Hello, Jewel! Long time, no talk! I hope everything is okay on your end. Listen, there's been a rise on a new book from an author under a pen name. See if you can get your hands on it, and get me a good review. The boss is willing to pay double your usual if you can. I guess the book is kind of hard to get. Let me know if you get your hands on it! Can't wait to hear from you, honey!**

I deleted the voicemail after hearing the name of the book. It was something about life Underground, which made more sense as to why the book was hard to get a hold of. I stood, keeping G's coat around me as I went upstairs and went to the library, opening the door slowly.

It never failed to amaze me with how the room looked. All the bookshelves and the mass quantities of books. It was a book lover's dream. I must have died and gone to heaven. I wandered through the rows and shelves, touching this book and looking at that one. There were books in here that I had only dreamed of ever seeing and hoping to read. And here they were, right under my fingertips. I couldn't wait.

I took my phone from my pocket and shot Stretch a quick text.

**From: Me To: Honey Pot 3:20 PM**  
**Hey, do you know if you guys have the book under the name of “Life Below”?**

I kept my phone in my hand. Stretch was usually a fast texter so long as he wasn't doing anything at the moment. And true to that thought, my phone dinged in my hands.

**From: Honey Pot To: Me 3:21 PM**  
**i'm not entirly sure, honey. gimme a few minutes and i'll come by and check with ya. x**

I tucked my phone in my pocket and continued perusing the books on the shelves I could see. I looked around for a ladder, grumbling to myself about the fact I was so short I could really only reach the third or fourth shelf, if I was lucky. Curse my height.

I moved around all the bookshelves, stopping to try and see what certain ones were. A lot of them looked old and beat up; I was scared to touch those ones. For all I knew, I could touch it and it would turn to dust just like that. There were even textbooks, like the one I'd had in school growing up. Chemistry, history, economics, math...they were all here.

I picked one up and skimmed through it, memories hitting me like a brick. Common core math was introduced after I had graduated, and looking through this math book was bringing back a ton of memories. I stopped on one page in the center of the book, running my fingers over the glossy page. I smiled absently, thinking back on the days in high school.

It had long since the monsters had been free; I was in seventh grade then. I'd had some friends and we'd gotten along swell...until my dad decided he did what he did. Then they slowly began drifting off, their parents not wanting me to tarnish or corrupt their babies. At first, I'd been really upset with them, begging them to hang out with me or let me stay with them for the weekend. But they'd all refused, giving the fact that my father was a violent monster hating bigot.

Then I'd been mad at their parents for telling them these things. Just because my parents were the way they were, didn't mean I was, too. After the AMM had been established, it had only gotten worse. Almost no one had come near me in fear I'd trick them or something into joining my dad's organization. Looks ranged from piteous to hostile. I bore the brunt of my father's consequences.

That when the hatred for my father began. My dad didn't understand what he had done to me. He thought I was some kind of demigoddess in school, with people flocking to me because of this. Even when I tried telling him otherwise, he'd scoff and shake his head, telling me to stop overreacting. That's when the real hurt started to settle in, when I'd started rebelling against them.

They didn't care. No one had.

Because of my dad, I had become an outcast.

I lost all my friends. I lost all the respect I'd earned from my peers and teachers. My school life had turned to shit, and by the time eighth grade began, I was truly alone. Only one teacher had reached out to me, her huge furry paw sitting on my shoulder as I ate in her classroom and talked about almost anything I could think of.

Toriel had been the only one to stand by me when things went to shit. Even monsters, after they had been enrolled, turned their backs on me. In fear that my dad would come after them because of whom they were.

I didn't realize I was crying until a tear splatted on the page below. I jolted, wiping my eyes with my hand and shutting the book with a resounding thump. The pain in my throat tasted like acid and I turned away.

And ran into an orange hoodie.

His arms wrapped around me, holding me close as I quietly cried. He didn't say anything, just held me, keeping his arms wrapped around me tightly. He moved one so he could stroke my hair, rocking us back and forth as I gripped his hoodie in tight fists.

It was at least ten minutes before I pulled myself together and pulled away a little, looking up at him through wet lashes. I sniffled before muttering an apology. The arm holding me didn't move, his other hand still stroking my hair.

“nothin' to apologize for, honey,” he whispered. “we all have our breaking points.”

“How many do I have?” I whispered brokenly.

“some have more than others, trust me.” He moved back and looked down at me. “now let's find that book before you go stir crazy.”

I laughed, nodding. We spent three hours looking, digging through new and old books We even enlisted the help of Blueberry, who had come home some time around the hour and a half mark. I was growing increasingly frustrated, growling and trying to stop the urge to throw these books around. I started moving them around with a little more force than necessary.

After another hour of digging, I groaned and plopped onto the ground where I stood, covering my face with my hands. “If the book isn't here, I'm gonna have to go find it somewhere.”

“THAT SHOULD NOT BE TOO HARD, HUMAN,” Blueberry said, petting my head like I was a dog. “YOU HAVE A LIBRARY, DON'T YOU?”

“It's not that easy, Blue,” I sighed sadly. “The magazine lady said that it was an extremely hard book to find. I figured because it was about life Underground in this universe, it would be here somewhere.”

Stretch sat beside me, placing a hand on my shoulder. “we'll find it somewhere, honey. sans knows this library like the back of his hand. maybe he knows if they have it or not.”

I nodded and Blueberry pet my head one more time before heading out. When the door closed behind him, I stood and headed over one of the chairs that sat by a fireplace. I curled up on it, staring at the empty space. Stretch came and kneeled in front of me, flicking his wrist that was covered in his orange magic. The glow of the fire blinded me for a second before I looked over at him, the familiar hum in the back of my head.

“What is that humming?” I finally asked.

He thought for a moment before humming, his magic fading. “that's right, you can hear it.”

“I can,” I murmured. “I heard it when you attacked that first day. It was...overwhelming.”

He nodded. “understandable. we think ya have magic, but we're not sure how. it could be tied in with the fact you're a descendant of the sages. if that's the case, then it makes sense you can feel or hear the humming.”

“But what is it?”

“think of it as our magic rattling our bones,” he said after thinking on it. “it's basically a sign to other monsters or some shit.”

I scoffed. “Aren't you supposed to have a Ph. D. or something?”

He laughed. “yeah, ya got a point.”

His phone dinged and he dug it out of his single pocket. He clicked the button and read something on the screen before sighing and standing up. “sorry, honey. guess it's my turn to spar with the fish. ink'll be here shortly to keep ya company; says he doesn't like confrontation much.”

I thought back to what he said almost a month ago. I would be the same way if I was in his shoes. “Okay. Be careful.”

He winked at me before vanishing. As the tendril of smoke drifted away, I looked back at the fire he started. The flames crackling were the only noise as I thought on how far this had all come. My dad still hasn't made a move, and that made me nervous. He wasn't usually one for strategics; he acted more on his emotions and didn't think before he acted. I had been told by one of the guys they'd seen my mom; she looked a lot worse for wear.

I didn't care. She could have done something all these years. I don't care if it was divorce or even something as simple as standing up to him. She knew how I'd felt; I'd gone to her for everything. But it was pointless, since she just relayed everything to him. And that was entirely on her shoulders now.

Life here had been better. I was learning a lot more than I would have at home. They always took time to explain something to me if I didn't get it, and they didn't treat me like a six year old. To them, I was their mate and an adult. When I told Sans I still wanted to do my book reviews, he had told me the library was free reign, so long as things were put back where they were found.

He'd seemed weird about it at first. Asking why I think I would need money when they have enough already. But when I explained it made me feel better, he'd conceded, nodding along as I showed him how it worked. He still wasn't keen on it, but he gave way because he knew it would make me happy in the end.

I understand they were well off, after the stocks and the gold. But there was something I felt I needed to do. Although they all smiled and flirted endlessly with me, there was still a haunted look to them. Some of them I noticed didn't sleep or didn't sleep well most nights. A few have had nightmares, much like Sans had that one night. Calling out to Papyrus, or Blue in Stretch's case, and telling them not to do “it”.

I knew what “it” was, but it still made a shiver crawl up my back.

“hey, rose.”

I looked up at Ink, holding a hand to my chest as my heart rate sped up for a few seconds. Ink stood there, grinning as usual, his hand on his paintbrush. He leaned forward and pressed a kiss to my temple. He sat in front of me, motioning with his head that he wanted his pets. I laughed under my breath as my hand moved over the smooth bone of his skull.

He looked up at me through a half lidded gaze, a soft smile on his face while his body vibrated with his purrs. I was still staring aimlessly at the fire, rubbing his skull lightly, rubbing my fingertips gently over his bone. He seemed to know there was something on your mind and gave a small sigh.

He stood up, moving so he was leaning over me. I jumped a little, looking up at him with wide eyes. There was a predatory look that flashed through his eye lights, which had slowly went from his unusual eye lights to the white ovals of light I got from the others. He brought his face closer to mine, inhaling deeply.

Without a word, he kissed me, one of his gloved hands coming up to my cheek and moving till the tips of his phalanges were near my hair. I leaned my head on his, tilting it as I kissed him back. I brought my hand up to grip his scarf, the fabric beneath my fingers soft.

He didn't pull anything like the others had, his free hand moving to my waist and gripping it before his hand slipped beneath my shirt. I gasped at the coolness of his fingers grazing my skin, his tongue entering my mouth slowly, as though waiting for permission. I gave it to him, letting my tongue tangle with his.

Unlike the others, there wasn't just the tingle of his magic. There was also a minty coolness that I could taste, like he had eaten a peppermint patty. Like when he had kissed me the first time, I could see colors dancing behind my lids, like little colorful fireworks. I drew him down to me a little more, causing him to make a satisfied hum in the back of his throat.

His hand traveled up a little bit, his fingers warming up with my body heat as he seemed to test the limits of my flesh. He hit a sensitive spot and I let out a small whine, arching into him. He seemed startled, breaking this kiss to move back, his face a swirl of colors. Though he looked out of sorts, he still seemed excited, his hand still under my shirt. Neither of us moved, panting as we stared at each other.

He gave me a smirk. “you make such pretty noises; i wonder how your dew would taste...”

It took me a full thirty seconds before I felt myself blush, a tiny noise akin to a squeak coming from my throat. His colorful tongue was hanging out of his mouth, one eye socket closed in a wink as he watched my reaction. But without another word, he sat back down and shoved his head under my palm, removing his from my shirt.

I smiled as we talked. He told me about all of his fights with Error, how they either ended in success...or if he had failed. He would look sad as he talked about him, though, as though he was like a brother to him. I guess that's what it would have been like though, to him. They were polar opposites; it kind of reminded me of twins.

He would get so excited when he talked about some of these universes. Some of them were horrible sounding. Like the one where they had no more food in the Underground, and one where Red and his Papyrus swapped personalities. He told me that the Sans from that universe seemed like a “Master” type. If I'd had a drink, I'd have done a spit take.

There was one where Frisk seemed to have some sort of disease, and they had to travel the opposite way to get to the beginning of the Ruins, where she would have originally fallen. One where Sans was full of LV and EXP, but I had to stop him there, confused with the terms.

“LV? EXP? Those sound like video game terms,” I mused.

He shook his head. “it's not that simple, snap dragon,” he said softly. “souls have stats, like the video games you speak of. lv, exp, at, def. all of that stands for something, but a couple...they're not what you think.”

He didn't continue, and I felt he was doing it for my sake. But I was curious, and completely befuddled. I needed to know.

“What do they stand for then?” I asked.

He sighed, rubbing his forehead. “lv stands for 'level of violence'. exp stand for 'execution points'. everything else stands for what i'm sure you already know.” He looked up at you sadly. “i think you get the gist of where this is going.”

I nodded, feeling my heart plummet. “Do...do the others...”

He looked away now, his fingers digging into his scarf. “sans doesn't. not really. red does; his universe didn't give him much choice. stretch and g are in the same boat as sans.” His voice got quiet. “it's why there's a cage down in the lab; just in case red goes...off.”

In case he went off the hook and tried killing. My heart clenched wherever it had landed, and I clutched my chest, scrunching my face. The thought he could hurt someone is very real, but I don't think he could really do it...not while I'm here, anyway.

“flower, hey.”

I looked at Ink, who had drawn closer to me and stroked my cheek with his phalanges. He was studying my face, worried etched on his bones. His hand roamed my face, feather light touches that reminded me of butterfly wings. He gave me a sad smile.

“it'll be okay, flower,” he said gently, his voice quiet. “red won't do anything to you. not while the others and i are here.”

“I'm not worried about him hurting me,” I whispered back. “I'm worried he'll hurt someone else on my behalf.”

I could see the moment it clicked when he knew whom I was talking about. His expression darkened, and he leaned back, gripping his paintbrush. It was so weird seeing him like this, so angry. He was usually so laid back and playful, but in moments like this, it was like he was entirely different person.

“he held a gun to your head, daisy,” he said lowly. “he threatened you; he hurt you. and not just physically and emotionally and shit. he hurt you in the worst way possible.” He pointed to my sternum. “he damaged your soul.”

My lower lip quivered, and I bit down on it with my teeth. Ink cooed at me, and brought himself up, resting on his knees as he wrapped his arms around me. I buried my face in his scarf as I cried silently, my body shaking a little. I felt my soul tugging against me. Ink's soft voice soothed me the most, murmuring assurances into my hair.

I rubbed my cheek against his scarf before pulling away, placing my forehead on his with a quiet thump.

“Thank you.”

**

Later that night, I laid in bed, staring at the ceiling. Everyone had called it a night maybe an hour ago, and tonight it was G who decided to come lay beside me. Red looked a little mad, but he agreed since he'd gotten to the night before. He laid beside you, wearing nothing but a white tee and a pair of striped pajama bottoms. They rode low on his hips and his shirt had somehow come up.

You both laid there, awake as you stared at the ceiling. You couldn't help but wonder what these guys could really do with their magic. You'd found out that if Ink didn't have his brush, he couldn't look at the other universes or teleport places. Explained why he always had it. You couldn't help but wonder about their tongues.

They were obviously created from magic, but could they create other things with their magic? You'd felt something bumpy with Red when he'd kissed you, but it didn't really register until now. You had found out that their ribs were the most sensitive area; was it because it was so close to their own soul? And their souls weren't exactly shielded by anything. Well, except the previously mentioned ribs.

Could they create things like dancing figures and stuff? Almost any book you'd read that had magic in it, you read about how they could create things like that with their magic. They could make figments of memories or wisps of smoke that resembled people to tell a story. The could contort the fire with their magic and move the wind with the tips of their fingers. The ground could shake with a change in their temper and the water could boil and simmer.

“what're ya thinking so hard on, angel?” G asked lazily, reaching over and grabbing my chin. I didn't resist him as he turned my head to face him. “your nose is getting all scrunched up.”

I sighed and moved the rest of my body to face him. His face was serene, his eye sockets half lidded as he watched me, his eye lights...yellow?

“What else can you guys do with your magic?” I asked. May as well be blunt with it, right?

G seemed taken aback for a moment before he shrugged. “nothing really. it's just our defense systems. like the gaster blasters, for example, they're our biggest defense, and only we can summon them. blueberry can, too, but that's because he's in sans's body. papyrus can't, but stretch can, because he's technically, at least mentally, sans.”

I nodded slowly, keeping my eyes on his face. Just like with everything else, they each even had their own telltales for when they were lying. After studying him a moment, I decided he must have been telling the truth.

It was quiet again, with us just watching each other. My lids grew heavy, and I tried fighting it off. I always felt better when I could see even just one of my mates. Falling asleep beside one and waking up with another was great. But being with G felt...homey, somehow.

“you're handling this surprisingly well.”

G's sudden comment had your eyes opening again. He was watching you, his yellow lights moving around as though he was studying your face in turn. When I didn't make a comment, he smiled at me, the cracks in his face expanding slightly to accommodate room once more.

“you're living life normally then all of a sudden you're thrown into a...well, basically a forced relationship with five skeletons, four of which come from different universes,” he murmured to himself. “how are you managing that?”

“I don't know,” I said. I scrubbed a hand over my face. “To be honest, it's still a lot to take in. I'm not used to all the attention.”

He chuckled, reaching out to stroke my hair. My eyes began to close again. “you're amazing, angel. you really are.”

“I don't think so.”

“we do, and that's all that matters.”

His quiet voice, and the way he stroked my hair, made me fall into oblivion quickly, my breath evening out as I heard him whisper to me.

“i'll see you in the morning, angel.”

I wasn't sure, but it sounded like he'd said something else.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Y'all don't understand just how much fluff I've been writing for eighteen and nineteen. Plus, the oncoming fluff. LORD HELP ME.
> 
> I have a question for y'all though. If you wanna know what, follow my tumblr! (:
> 
> [https://www.tumblr.com/blog/darkkfoxxx](url)


	18. Birthday, pt I

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's my birthday, and the boys are kinda mad I forgot. But it's okay, I'm in the clear!

When I woke up, Ink was curled up beside me. His scarf and paintbrush weren't too far from him, and his clothes had been swapped out with a pair of pajama bottoms. He still wore the black and teal bodysuit, which clung to his bones. I found myself finding that oddly...attractive.

I rubbed my eyes, wondering what could be wrong with me. I found that attractive now? Since when? I guess it made sense, since they were my soulmates and all. But, if I was thinking logically here, how would someone find bones, of all things, attractive?

It was too early for deep thinking.

I moved closer to him, but instead of me cuddling him, he turned over, his arm throwing itself around my waist as he made a disgruntled type of noise. He pulled me closer to him, my face right near his clavicles. I hitched my breath, warmth radiating out from him as he purred and laid his cheek on the top of my head.

I gripped his bodysuit in my hands, looking up at him through my lashes. He wasn't actually awake, but he was stirring a little more, his face screaming about how grouchy he was about that. He took in a deep breath through his nasal cavity as his eyes opened slowly. He blinked a few times before he looked down at me, giving me a sleepy smile.

My fucking heart was going to explode at this rate.

“mornin', flower,” he murmured, his voice husky.

“Morning, Ink,” I whispered back, my own voice croaking.

He chuckled and turned his head slightly so he could place a soft kiss on the top of my head. My body warmed under his touch and I felt my body melting as he looked back down at me. I snuggled into him further, content with just laying here like this, wrapped up in him.

Unfortunately...

“wake up, asshole!” Red was on the other side of my door. There was a hard crack on it that reminded me of a kick. “we wanna see 'er, too, ya know!”

Ink rolled his eye lights, his usual oval and flower. He giggled and sighed, rolling out from under his arm and ignoring the pitiful whine that he let out. I threw on a hoodie that was the same shade as Red's magic and went to the door, pausing to look over at Ink. He had sat up, wrapping his scarf around him and picking up his paintbrush.

I opened the door right as Red pulled his leg back to kick the door again. I glared at him as he stopped mid kick, his eye sockets going wide. He immediately put his foot back on the floor and grinned, his teeth glinting slightly in the dim lighting of the hallway.

“th' others are waitin' an' sent me up ta get ya,” he explained, rubbing the back of his skull.

“the kicking was so not cool,” Ink grumbled as he ambled past us, heading down the hall to go downstairs. “dick.”

Red growled as he disappeared around the corner. He looked over at me, and my expression softened. He seemed to feel bad for what he'd done, but this was also Red we're talking about. Nonetheless, I hooked my arm through his and laid my head on his shoulder, sighing. He moved himself so he could wrap his free arm around me, his teeth against my hair. The points poked me a little bit as they pressed against the top of my cranium. I just closed my eyes.

While Red seemed to be on his own planet half the time, he could be gentle when he wanted. But it seemed like it was only with me when he was like this. It made me wonder what he was really like.

When he moved back, the collar caught my eye, and I watched as it glinted in the dim lighting. I brought my hand up to touch it, running my fingers over the points of the spikes. He didn't move, just looked down to watch me as I played with the collar around his throat. The smile on his face was soft, his sockets lidded.

This was the same guy who pinned me to the kitchen counter and kissed me so thoroughly I thought I was going to hyperventilate. Who told me how sexy I was “dancing” around in my sleeping shorts. Who had basically teased me till my head exploded.

It made me wonder if he was insane.

“let's get'cha downstairs,” he said huskily. “'fore i pin ya ta the wall and try and hump yer brains out.”

My face flamed instantly, and I followed him silently down the hall. We made our way downstairs where everyone was already gathered in the living room. They were all in their pajamas still, talking quietly among themselves. The only difference was that they wore their hoodies or coats and had their tee shirts in place.

The second Red led me into the room, their conversation halted and all of them looked over to me. I would have stopped walking, but Red kept his hold on me and led me to the chair they had brought over to sit in front of the fireplace and TV. He plopped me down and went to sit beside Ink, who stuck his tongue out at him.

“so we have a question for you,” Sans started, leaning forward from where he was sitting.

I raised a brow, my nerves hitting an all time high. What did I do? Why was this like a conference? Did I do something wrong?

Stretch spoke over from smoker's corner. “when were ya gonna tell us it was your birthday?”

I blinked. Then blinked again. I thought about the timeline and the month before I smacked my forehead painfully. The others protested as I moved my hand away, feeling the heat where there would be a huge red mark. I groaned and dropped my face to my hands, rubbing my eyes with the heels of my palms.

“I can't believe I forgot my own birthday!” I moaned out.

It made sense. For the past few years, mom and dad didn't do anything for it. They would say happy birthday and maybe get me some cake. But that's where it would stop. I didn't get any presents, I had no friends to celebrate with.

I stopped that thought process there, cutting out the heart aching memories of spending my birthdays alone, crying. I wouldn't let them know about those. Telling by their expressions, I could tell they were already upset enough that they hadn't known, and I'd managed to forget. Part of me felt bad for not telling them, but at the same time, it would have led to questions about what I wanted for my birthday. And to be honest, I had no idea what I wanted.

I wasn't living with my parents anymore. All my money was mine again. I found not one, but five soulmates. I was living with them and they spoiled the shit out of me.

“honey?'

“flower?”

“princess?”

“angel?”

“sweetheart?”

All five of my pet names brought me out of my thoughts. All of them were watching me, their heads slightly tilted. I gave them a smile and held up my hands.

“Sorry, guys. I guess with everything that's been going on...”

“no worries,” G said, leaning back against the couch. “we were just wondering what you'd want.”

I wasn't really listening. When G had moved, so had the waistband of his pajama pants. I could see his hipbones poking from the top, the bone smooth and an off white like the rest of them. I tamped down the whine that had threatened to rise in the back of my throat and jerked my gaze away from it. But it was too late. G had caught my staring, and a smirk crossed his features.

Shit.

“I, uh...well...the thing is I...don't know,” I managed to force out, trying to ignore G's satisfied smirk.

“there's gotta be somethin', sweetheart,” Red said, getting up from his spot and taking out his pack of cigarettes. “i mean, you're what, twenty-one now? there's gotta be somethin'.”

“Nope,” I squeaked. “Not that I can think of.”

They all sat back for a moment and watched me. I started to fidget under their gazes, fiddling with my fingers as they all started nodding to themselves. Red was the first one to perk up, his grin turning into something more...dangerous.

“i'll be back.”

“i think all of us will be back,” Sans muttered as Red poofed. He rolled his eye lights and looked over at me. “we'll be back, but you're not to leave the house alone, got it?”

I sighed and nodded. He smiled and kissed my temple before evaporating from the spot. The others followed suit, giving me little butterfly kissed before leaving. I looked around and groaned to myself.

How could I have forgotten my birthday? I mean, granted the ones after the monsters came were all...shit. But I still remembered them, still sat by myself on those days. My parents never really like celebrating anything, not even their anniversary. It was just the usual “happy birthday”, or “happy anniversary, love you” before that was that. They hadn't gone out for their anniversary in years.

I wonder what these guys would do for an anniversary? They obviously wanted to go all out for my birthday. I mean, I didn't know how to feel about that, but there was something about the thought that made my heart flutter.

“HUMAN, WHY ARE YOU DOWNSTAIRS?”

I turned to see Papyrus, carrying an arm load of things. He was studying me, Blueberry beside him holding a book in his hands.

“Hey, Paps, Blue.” I waved. “I...I don't know what to do now that the boys are gone again.”

Blueberry smiled and ran around Papyrus to come up to me. He shoved the book he was holding in my face, his grin triumphant. I shoved the book away from my face a little so I could get a clear view of the book title. My hands flew to my mouth and I read it over. And over again.

“This is...it's...”

“MWEHEHEH! I FOUND IT JUST FOR YOU,” Blueberry said, puffing out his chest a little bit.

I leaned down and hugged the little skeleton, squeezing him tightly. He returned the hug just as vigorously, his laughter affecting even Papyrus. He was chuckling as he headed into the dining room and then into the kitchen. Blueberry pulled away first and handed the book out to me once more.

I took from him and placed a kiss on his cheek before heading upstairs. The boys definitely wouldn't have to worry about me leaving the house. I was going to read this book cover to cover, and maybe, hopefully, discover who the author was.

I went into my room and cracked the door a little bit, heading to my bed and plopping down on top of it. I opened the drawer beside my bed and put on my reading glasses after using the cleaner to make sure there weren't any smudges on them. I placed them on my face when there was a knock on the door.

“Come in.”

Papyrus came in, carrying a tray in one hand and another fluffy looking blanket under his other arm. He placed the tray on the nightstand I was closest to and put the blanket by my feet. I gave him a smile as I studied the contents of the tray. There was a teapot with steam coming from the spout and a couple of tea bags lying beside it. A container of sugar and a little milk pot were beside it as well with two spoons. Beside them was a small bowl of scones, still steaming.

I looked up at the tall skele, saying, “That's sweet of you. Thank you.”

He grinned. “I LOVE READING MYSELF, AND I FIND I LOVE READING MORE WHEN THERE IS TEA TO DRINK AND SCONES TO SNACK ON. I THOUGHT YOU MIGHT ENJOY THE SAME AS A FELLOW READER.”

My heart melted. It reminded me of when the others mocked this monster for being something he wasn't. He was too gentle, had too kind a soul to do any harm. He made me scones and tea! Who would ever want to hurt such a baby?

“Thanks again, Paps. I'm gonna get to reading so I can do my review,” I said, moving the book.

“I WILL LEAVE YOU TO IT.”

He left, and I opened the book to the first page. Blueberry must have just bought it; I was assaulted by the new book smell I used to crave when I was growing up. I adjusted my glasses before getting down to business, picking up a scone and biting into it. He couldn't make spaghetti for shit, but this guy could bake.

**

I didn't know how long I had been reading. The tea pot full of hot water had been replaced a couple times and new tea bags brought to me. A bowl of fresh scones had been placed beside the tea pot at one point. The only reason I stirred from my bookworm heaven was because my stomach growled out in desperation from not having actual food yet.

I scowled. It could only have been an hour or two at most. Usually, I wasn't really hungry in the mornings. I glanced over at the clock and my eyes nearly bugged out of my skull. It was close to three in the afternoon! I'd been reading for upwards of five hours? No wonder my stomach was growling.

But then I got curious. Why hadn't anyone gotten me? Maybe Papyrus had told them not to bother me since I was reading. There's a high chance the boys had come to see me in my room and left me alone when they saw my nose buried in the book. I was only halfway through after five hours. But that was also with bathroom breaks and the times I needed to make myself more tea.

I moved from my position and I could feel my bones protesting. I stretched my arms above my head, feeling my bones cracking in sweet release. I brought them back down, letting them thump against the bed. I moved my arms in a circle and tried to get the blood back in them when there was another knock on the door.

“Come in.”

The door pushed open a little as Red poked his head in my room. He paused when he looked at me, staring just a little too hard. I raised a brow and cleared my throat causing him to jump a little and clear his throat. His face started to flush with magic as he looked down for a moment before looking back up again.

“you comin' down?” he asked, fidgeting a little.

“Yeah.” I glanced at him again. “You okay?”

“i...uh...your shirt...”

I was confused for a moment before I looked down and let out a shocked squeal. My shirt had managed to ride up while I had been reading and moving all over my bed to get in a new position. The lower half of one of my boobs had popped out along with half a nipple. I quickly moved it down and felt my face flush just as red as his own.

He came further into the room and sat on the bed, holding his hand out to me. I took it, and he brought me closer to him, moving us so I was sitting across his lap with his arm supporting the upper half of my spine. He looked down at me and gave me a smile.

“that was hot, though,” he comment lazily. “jus' like those glasses on yer face...”

He leaned down and nuzzled my cheek, a purr coming from the back of his throat. I laughed and put my hand to his cheek and he moved his face and pressed a kiss to my mouth. I kept my hand there, feeling the warmth radiating from his bones and seeping into my own skin.

His free arm moved, gripping my waist in a tight grasp. I gasped a little and his tongue moved into my mouth. Unlike the first time, I could feel there was a small bump on his tongue and as it tangled with mine, I could feel his magic searing into me. I let out a little whine as he moved from my mouth down, trailing those sharp teeth to my throat. While he could easily tear it out without a second thought, he nipped the soft skin that was over my jugular.

I felt a shiver pass through my body as his grip tightened on my waist and his eye lights looked up at me. They were red again, something I had only seen once or twice from him prior. There was always something different about him when they changed, more primal. More...dominant.

His hand on my back moved up and he moved it so he could wrap around my throat. I gasped, his fingers squeezing the sides of my throat. The gesture wasn't gentle, but it wasn't harsh either. There was a coil that was tightening in my lower belly, and I pressed my legs together in a desperate attempt to make the aching stop. There was a small throb that answered as he moved himself back up to my mouth.

He licked his way up, his tongue leaving tingling magic in its wake. He let out a gutteral growl and a sound that was akin to an aching whine. He took in a deep breath through his nasal cavity and I could see his mouth turn into a predatory grin.

“i love th' way ya smell, sweetheart,” he murmured. “ya always smell so good...”

I didn't have time to say anything as he crushed his mouth to mine, his tongue demanding entrance. I gave it to him, his hand giving my throat another squeeze. His hand by my waist moved down and played with the waistband of my pants before moving down again. When he hit my core, I let out a shocked gasp.

“Red, no...”

“but, sweetheart,” he whispered huskily. “don't ya want that? that aching feeling must be so painful...”

“I...I...no...”

“please, pet,” he whispered, licking my ear.

I let out a stuttered moan.

“she said _no_ , red.”

His eyes shot up and I turned my head as best as I could with his hand still around my throat. Sans was leaning against the door jamb, looking at Red like a parent would after catching their child eating chocolate before dinner. He whimpered and moved his hands, setting me back on the bed. He got up and scuffled from the room with his head down.

I went to get up and go after him, but Sans was in front of me, his hands on my shoulders. He looked at me, his eye lights flicking around my body. It dawned on me that was checking to see if I had any marks. When I shook my head, his shoulders slumped in relief and he let out a little sigh. He came to sit beside me and took my hand in his.

“i came to see what was taking him so long. didn't realize that he was occupying himself...” He glanced at me and smiled. “ya ready to head downstairs?”

I nodded, and he brought me up from the bed, handing me a hoodie and leading me from the room. I put it on before we headed down the stairs, where I heard whispers from the others and a few other voices seemed to have joined in. He led me from the living room to the dining room, where a whole bunch of confetti was thrown in my face.

“Happy birthday!”

It was screamed from everyone in the room. Not just my skeleboys, Papyrus and Blueberry. Asgore was there with Toriel and Frisk. Flowey was in his little pot in her hands, his stems crossed stubbornly. Undyne had her arm around Alphys, who was a shyly waving at me from her post beside her girlfriend. Grillby and Muffett had even joined in, their dislike of each other through business pushed aside long enough to come wish me a happy birthday.

I held a hand to my heart as it slowed down from the sudden onslaught of confetti that had flown through the air and into my face. I couldn't help it as my face cracked into a smile, one I couldn't seem to contain. I took a gaze around the room.

It dawned on me that the stuff Papyrus had been carrying earlier was actually party stuff. Streamers and balloons lined the ceiling and walls. There were puffed up helium balloons that decorated the table on little sticks and placed on little wooden pegs to keep them stable enough to stand. There were candles that lined the table as well, and flowers adorned the room. There was a huge “happy birthday!” sign over across the top of the doorway to the kitchen.

“whaddaya think, princess?” Sans whispered beside me, nudging me.

“I...I...” I swallowed thickly. “I love it!”

My other four skeletons came up to me and surrounded me as they nuzzled into me. They each pressed kisses to some part of my face or head and I could help but let out a laugh. I clung onto one of them and looked over at Red. He refused to meet my gaze.

“Can I talk to him for a moment guys?” I asked quietly.

They nodded and moved off, heading over to get everyone settled for whatever it was they were making for lunch. Or dinner. I didn't know which one it was. I turned back to Red, who had partially buried himself in the fur trimming of his hoodie. At least he had the decency to be embarrassed.

I took his hand in mine, which shot his now white eye lights over to me.

“I'm not mad,” I said quietly, so the others couldn't hear. “...okay, maybe a little. But not so much that you shouldn't also enjoy the day with us without feeling bad. Water under the bridge?”

He moved his head out from his hoodie and I couldn't help but be reminded of a turtle. He nodded slowly and I opened my arms, releasing his hand. He took the hint and wrapped me up in a hug, nuzzling his face into my neck.

That reminded me.

“Hey, Red, what's the bump on your tongue?” I asked as he pulled away.

If he had actual eyeballs, they would have lit up like a child's on Christmas. After a moment of waiting, his tongue rolled out of his mouth. It was pointed into a tip at the end and there was...

A stud.

There was a golden stud. On his tongue.

His fucking magical tongue. Was pierced.

That did things to my mind and body I didn't want to admit aloud.

He brought his tongue back inside his skull, and gave me a wink before sauntering off, hands in his pockets. I stared after him, much like I had when he had left the kitchen the morning I'd left breakfast. Asgore came up to me then, holding out his huge fucking arms in askance for a hug.

I gave it to him, laughing and jumping on the former King of the Underground. He wrapped his big furry arms around me and hugged me close to him, making sure to keep his large horns away from my flesh. He was always so cuddly and warm. It was no wonder Frisk enjoyed having these two as adopted parents.

“Young one, I'm so happy to see you,” he said, moving so he was holding me out like a father would their baby.

“Thanks for coming, Asgore,” I laughed. “I know you must be pretty tied up with monster stuff still,” I said as I rested my arms on his.

“Nonsense,” he scoffed. “Coming here to celebrate this day of birth with you is the biggest honor I can think of.”

I blushed and giggled, letting him bring me in for another hug. I wrapped my arms around him, just realizing how hard it actually was. His neck was so thick I couldn't even wrap my arms around it fully. He was sporting his usual Hawaiian style button up, and a pair of slacks. Bunny must make these for him personally, because I don't think even the largest human size would fit him. Or be comfortable for all that fur.

He placed me down as Alphys and Undyne came up next. Undyne whooped out suddenly, picking me up in a hug and swirling me around. I could just make out Alphys's voice.

“B-be careful, U-undyne!” she stammered. “S-s-sh'e so fragile.”

Undyne stopped and laughed loudly, right in my ear. “FUHUHUHU. She can handle it! This punk can handle almost anything I can throw at her!”

“So long as it's not a spear,” I muttered, recalling the numerous times I've had to dodge those things just to live.

Undyne put me down and Alphys reached down to give me a hug. It was weird being a short human compared to these monsters. I couldn't imagine their real heights compared to each other. Asgore was at least three feet taller than I was and probably considered me a child even though I was now old enough to drink and smoke.

They pulled away and we made our way to the table as Papyrus came out with Blueberry on his heels. They were followed by Frisk and Toriel, with platters of food in their hands. The boys were even using their arms to balance more platters of food.

As we ate, I gazed around and furrowed my brow.

“Where's Flowey?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There are two parts to this. There is a bit of sad at the beginning of the next chapter, but don't worry. It gets all fluffy again.
> 
> I just started twenty-one, so I could post the next chapter later in the week. Don't know. If you do, find me here on tumblr.
> 
> [https://www.tumblr.com/blog/darkkfoxxx](url)
> 
> Hope y'all enjoyed! <3


	19. Birthday pt II

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I learn about some of Flowey, and why he disappeared.
> 
> Then the party resumes!

“Where's Flowey?”

I asked the question and all eyes looked around. Frisk looked panicked for a moment, her eyes going wide as she placed the food on the table. All the versions of Sans looked around, their eyes wary as they tried to look for the flower. I stood from my spot at the table and went to head outside. I had a feeling I knew where he was.

“princess?”

Sans's voice sounded strained. I looked at him and gave him a smile. “I'll be right back, I promise.”

I could feel each of them bristle. I gave each of the boys I passed a kiss on the top of their skull, Ink the only one really unaffected. Minus the missing Flowey part, he seemed to be okay. I knew he was wary about Flowey because of all the versions of Flowey he's seen. I could only imagine how many there were.

I left the kitchen and headed for the living room, going right for the front door. I went outside, zipping up my hoodie as the cool breeze drifted over my skin. I could feel the goosebumps rising on my skin and raising the hairs on the back of my neck. I looked around before seeing the yellow flower sitting on a chair, looking up at the blue sky.

I went over to him and sat beside him, tucking one of my legs underneath me. He didn't acknowledge me, but I knew he knew I was there. He instead kept looking at the sky, watching as the clouds passed by slowly, creating funny looking shadows on the ground.

Neither of us spoke for a little bit.

“Are you okay?” I finally asked.

He didn't reply at first. I thought he was so zoned out, he wasn't going to. But then he sighed, his flowery face drooping down, the petals somewhat covering his face. This was a totally weird side of Flowey, one I didn't think he even had. It was rumored the flower had no real emotion, and didn't really care for much except for Frisk. And even then, no one knew why other than she showed him Mercy when he'd needed it the most.

“I don't know,” he finally replied. “It's hard on birthdays, because mo – Toriel would go all out on mine...when I was Asriel, at least.”

I scowled. “You were...the Prince?”

He nodded his head before picking up his face looking at me. There was a sadness behind him I hadn't seen before. Now that I looked closely, he did kind of remind me of a goat. Especially with the little fangs that were part of his mouth.

He really was disturbing to look at sometimes.

“Technically yes, and technically no. When monsters turn to dust, they sprinkle the ashes over something they cherished. So that they may live on forever. D – Asgore did that with mine. With a single golden flower seed. After I absorbed Chara's soul.”

I stared blankly at him. “I thought Frisk got it.”

“That's what I told her,” he whispered. “In reality, I absorbed it when she was about to die. I didn't realize that much determination would actually...kill me, too. So the day they lost Chara, they also lost Asriel. And in turn, they gained Flowey, the flower with determination.”

He looked back up at the sky again. This was sad, and although I knew he must be torn up about it, he didn't show it. “But...you don't have a soul.”

“Not anymore.” He shook his petals. “As each day passes, Asriel fades and Flowey becomes more...real. I get flashes and memories of what life was like back then. But that's it. I don't have feelings.”

“Well, I don't care,” I said immediately, standing from my seat. I picked up his flower pot. He looked up at me in shock. “You're going to enjoy this party with us. And I'm determined to make sure you have a good fucking time.” I gave him a soft smile. “Don't worry. I won't tell Frisk what you told me; it's our little secret.”

The flower seemed relieved and nodded before we headed back inside.

Everyone was on the edge of their seats when I came back inside. When they saw me carrying his pot, they relaxed and the sounds of forks and knives clinking against plates filled the room. I went to sit Flowey next to Frisk, but a stem reached from the soil and wrapped around my arm. When I looked at him, he wasn't looking at me and seemed embarrassed, but it was clear.

He wanted to stay by my side right now.

Frisk nodded that it was okay and I went to my seat at the head of the table, where food was passed to me first. I took double of everything I wanted and cut up some of the steak that was put in front of me and gave some to the flower. He took it and ate it, giving me a thankful smile.

The sounds of laughter finally filled the dining room as everyone began asking me questions about my past. I noticed they all strayed away from the harsher topics like my parents and home life. And for that, I was grateful. I didn't think I could relive those horrible moments. I simply talked about how I spent my spare time, how I had gotten into the book reviews. I talked about the abandoned cat I used to feed before it finally ran away and never seemed to come back.

It was nice, telling these stories to people who actually cared. And who knew? These guys were monsters, who had been banished below the Surface to hundreds, hell, maybe even thousands of years. I didn't ask, because I didn't want them to relive memories they had gone through. From what I've gathered, it was a lot harder than I had originally thought.

I absently fed Flowey as everyone talked, giving him pieces of meat and bites of potatoes. When I held up a fork full of green beans, the look on his face screamed that I had to be kidding. But I didn't drop my hand, even when the others around began to laugh and taunt him about “eating his greens”. He finally took his bite, grumbling around his food and swallowing.

When the meal was over, Papyrus stood up and eagerly ran into the kitchen while Toriel and Frisk gathered the remaining dishes. Asgore and Flowey helped out, Flowey using his extra stems to stack the dishes on top of each other. They took everything to the kitchen as Papyrus came back out, carrying a silver platter covered with a silver plate.

He set the giant thing in front of me and was bouncing in his spot while we waited for everyone to come back. When Asgore, Toriel and Frisk were once more seated, Papyrus let out a tiny squeal and lifted the lid of the platter.

It was a beautiful cake, with pure white icing and “Happy Birthday, Jewel!” written in red and cyan icing. Whoever made it took their time, having added yellow and orange flowers and there was a rainbow border that lined the edge of the cake. The way the colors clashed would have probably bothered a few people, but to me, it was the sweetest thing.

“paps made the cake,” Sans said from beside me.

I looked up. All my skeleboys had gathered around me, Stretch directly behind me standing the tallest. Red and G stood on either side of him and then beside them were Ink and Sans. It was like a little ladder. I smiled as each leaned down and simultaneously gave me a kiss. Cheeks, temples and the top of my head. My face flamed as the others cooed. Well, except for Flowey, who made exaggerated gagging noises.

Grillby cleared his throat and stood, coming toward the cake. “Allow me.”

He leaned over and waved his hand over the number candles, lighting them up with magic. I laughed and clapped like I was a child, earning me a deep chuckle from the fire elemental. Muffett was handling the plating as everyone sang the happy birthday song. I covered my face in my hands as they sang it so off key, it made my ears ache.

When it came time to blow out the candles, I paused, thinking for a moment. What did I want to wish for...?

I smiled and blew out the candles. Everyone cheered and clapped and Red's clawed hand ruffled my hair. I shrieked at him, batting his hand away and laughing. They handed me the knife and I cut into the first piece, putting it on a plate for Muffett to hand out. With her eight arms, she moved quickly, keeping pace with my cake placing easily.

Once everyone had a piece of cake, Blueberry bounded out from the kitchen with ice cream in his hands. He placed it in front of me and gave me two decent scoops before going around and doing it for everyone else. I stared at the cake uncertainly, thinking back on Papyrus's other...crafts.

Sans leaned down, his breath tickling my ear as he whispered, “it's okay; he used to work with the spider. so he knows how to bake properly.”

With that reassurance, I cut off a piece of the cake and bit into it. He wasn't kidding; the icing basically melted on my tongue and the cake was moist and soft. I bit back a moan as I cut another piece. Chocolate was always a favorite, but this had to top all the ones I'd had before. Which, admittedly, wasn't a lot.

Talk flowed easily through dessert. I learned of Asgore's pure love of gardening and Toriel has more than just baking and cooking up her sleeve. I even watched as they treated Flowey as their own child, but he still stuck by my side, sometimes slipping a vine around my arm to make sure I was still there.

Grillby and Muffett, although they had their issues, they still liked each other. The only time they got bad is when they were on the clock at work. The way Muffett described it to me was that it was war during business hours, but after that, it was like they had become the best of friends.

When everyone began to finish their cake and ice cream, they headed into the living room. I stood, gathering the smaller plates to take to the kitchen. I was torn away from them with a cry, laughing as Stretch swirled me around like a ballerina and dipped me. He gave me a few quiet tuts.

“birthday girls don't get to do that,” he said, standing me upright. “get into the living room with the others. we'll be there shortly.”

I went to go and he swatted my butt playfully. I swatted his hand away, giggling like a fucking school girl as I entered the living room. It was set up the same way it had been that morning, when Red had brought me down. Everyone shooed me to the chair that was still facing them. Before I sat, there was a knock on the door.

“I'll get it!” Frisk said, getting up from beside Toriel and heading for front door.

When she opened it, I saw a flash of metal wrapping up Frisk in a hug. The door was opened further as Frisk laughed and hugged a giant metal robot. Papyrus came up beside me and leaned down.

“That's Mettaton!” he whispered frantically. He sounded like a fanboy in that moment, with stars in his eyes and his face glowing an off orange hue. “Human, do you know who Mettaton is?!”

I knew about Mettaton. When the monsters reached the surface, he quickly became popular in Hollywood. Especially with his dramatic sense of life and the way he carried himself. Plus, he kept his whole life on the down low. Unless you were friends with the robot, you would know next to nothing about him.

Except Papyrus, who seemed completely starstruck in that moment. It was so fucking adorable.

His black hair swished around as he carried Frisk further into the house, using a pink boot to shut the door. Flowey looked like he was ready to crawl out of here at any moment. I studied him, from his black hair and his pink shoulder pads. The black chest plates and pants. The hot pink boots matched perfect with the shoulder pads, and it definitely seemed to suit him.

His purple eyes landed on me. He put Frisk down gently and stroked her hair, giving her a big kiss on the cheek. Frisk blushed and giggled, hiding her face.

“Ton-ton, stop it!” she laughed.

“Oh, but, darling, look how much you've grown!” he said, throwing his arms wide. “It seems like just yesterday you were next to my hip circuits, sweetie!”

She laughed again and went back to sit next to her mother. Mettaton came over to me and gave me a sweeping bow, holding a hand.

“Darling, I am Mettaton!” he said as I placed my hand in his. My face was covered in red as he brought my hand to his face. “It is a pleasure to finally meet you! My lovely Frisky has told me so much about you!”

I looked over his shoulder at Frisk, who was covering her mouth as she laughed. Papyrus was still starstruck as my skeleboys entered the room at that moment. Mettaton pulled away just in time before they noticed he had kissed the back of my hand.

If I was as bad as Papyrus, I would have definitely fainted in that moment. Holy fuck.

“okay, we're all – alright, who invited the bucket of bolts?” Sans growled, pointing at Mettaton.

“Sans, sweetie, not now!” Mettaton said sadly. “Please, the birthday girl would love for me to stay, wouldn't you, doll?”

All eyes turned to me. I shrugged. Mettaton cooed at me and leaned down to kiss my cheek, sending my face on another blushing spree. While all the boys yelled at him, I noticed Stretch looked just as confused before he shrugged. He, G and Ink came over to me as the other two started in on a shouting match with the robot.

He was even worse in real life with the dramatics. It was hilarious, and I couldn't help but watch as my boys started getting flustered and angrier. I finally cut them off and waved them over to me. They obliged, muttering about Mettaton, who took a seat beside Papyrus and Blueberry. Papyrus was practically bouncing in his seat as the famous robot gave him a personal autograph and even went as far as to kiss the paper for him. God, it was so adorable the way he blushed over that small kiss.

“Okay, my child,” Toriel said, finally settling from her own laughter. “Whose present would you like to open first?”

Presents? I looked around before noticing another table had been set up beside my chair, piled high with gifts from everyone. I stared at the amount of them on the table before looking around at everyone gathered. Everyone snickered before Undyne exploded.

“NYAGGHHH! Just open mine up, nerd!” she hollered, pulling one from the table and thrusting it toward my face. “Seriously!”

I laughed and took it from her gently. It was a longer box, wrapped in some fish wrapping paper and some fish net. I laughed with her at the wrapping paper as I tore it open and stared at the sword in my lap.

“Undyne...”

“When we first met, you told me how much you loved those stupid samurai movies when you were growing up,” she interrupted. “I saw this on clearance at a store I know you frequent. When I told them what it was for, they gave it to me as a gift, even paid the difference themselves. Told me to tell ya to stop by sometime, loser.”

While she said it nonchalantly, there was a note of fondness in her tone. Alphys gave her a small smile and kissed her chin, the only place she could reach with Undyne snuggling her girlfriend close to her.

I picked up the blade and held the grip firmly, watching the curved metal twinkle in the light. I turned it this way then that. The grip was a deep red, reminding me of Red's eye lights when they were that color. I put the blade back in the box and covered it once more, putting it down by my feet. Ink decided he wanted to look so he moved the box closer to himself.

Alphys picked up a random present and handed it off to me, leaning away from Undyne for a second before she went back to the tough fish monster.

“That one is mine and Flowey's!” Frisk said excitedly.

I smiled and tore open the wrapping paper. Inside of it were two things. There was a huge book on puns, which the boys immediately started to scramble for. I managed to somehow swat all five of them away as I took out the next thing, which was a photo frame. I blinked at it.

I remembered the day this must have been taken. Frisk and Flowey had come over after they had come back from some Ambassador thing across the country. I was sitting on the tire swing surrounded by all of the skeletons, laughing. My eyes were closed as I laughed, my hair pulled away from my face. I was wearing jean shorts and a light green top that was almost the same color as the grass.

The boys around me were grinning in satisfaction as I laughed. And they all wore similar expressions of happiness as I swung on that swing. Their eye lights were all on me, adoration twinkling in their eye sockets as they watched and stared at me.

It melted my heart. I looked up at Flowey and Frisk. Flowey wouldn't look at me, but Frisk winked and motioned her head at him then the picture framed in my hands. I stifled a giggle and handed it to one of the boys so it didn't get accidentally damaged.

The next one was from Muffett. While not expecting much from her, I pulled out a coupon. Six of them, actually. I looked up at the usually greedy spider and she grinned at me, all of her eyes squinting.

“For as long as you remain,” she said in her high pitch tone, “this will be to make sure you can come in and get what you want, at no cost.”

“I...thank you,” I stammered.

She giggled. “Fuhuhu, it isn't a problem, dearie~”

Grillby's was next. There were two parts to it. One was an aged bottle of scotch that all the boys ogled for a good five minutes while I dug through the bag to figure out what else there was. I pulled out a piece of paper and unfolded it, snorting with laughter. It caught all of their attentions as they looked at the big bold print on the piece of paper.

**PAY YOUR FUCKING TAB.**

I was still laughing as Red, G and Stretch argued that he wasn't even their Grillby. Stretch even went so far as to point out that his Grillby was actually Muffett. Grillby only shrugged, saying he felt bad for their versions of himself and that he was going to collect what he owed them, too. I was still cracking up when Alphys handed me the next present.

This was from Papyrus and Blueberry, who seemed to have combined an effort. I opened the box and my heart melted as I pulled out a light blue scarf and a pair of gloves and cowboy boots. I touched the scarf carefully and I was surprised to see the stitches on the end of it. They looked a little frayed and weren't the same color as the scarf itself. I looked at the boots, which I recognized as a pair that had recently been out, and known to be really expensive. The gloves that I had also gotten were new looking, made from a soft wool.

“I...Papyrus, did you make this scarf by hand?” I asked, my voice choked.

There was that off orange hue again and he nodded sheepishly. I then turned and looked at Blue, whose cheeks had become a lighter blue once more.

“Did you spend that much money on these? Really?”

He nodded and looked away.

“YOU ARE A KIND HUMAN,” Blueberry said. “IT ONLY SEEMED FITTING TO GET YOU SOMETHING AS SUCH.”

“THAT IS A FRIENDSHIP SCARF,” Papyrus said, looking at you again. “SANS HELPED ME MAKE MINE WITH MY BATTLE BODY. I DECIDED YOU NEEDED ONE, TOO!”

I rubbed the bottom of my eyes, sniffling. Everyone made cooing noises and there were a few “aws” around you. I told them to be quiet, but the effect was lost with the sniffling I was doing. I put their things carefully inside the box once more.

I put the box off to the side and took the box that Toriel had gotten for me. It was a cookbook, and it held some of her own personal recipes. She winked, holding a big furry claw to her mouth.

“I know you like to cook, but you haven't got much down yet.” She moved her hand away. “I hope this helps you come up with some new things for the boys.”

There were a few of them, actually. Each held a few of her own recipes, and there were notes written in the sidelines. Though she had huge furry paws, Toriel's writing was very neat and meticulous. It reminded me that she was more like a mother figure than my own. I hugged one of the books to my chest and grinned.

“Thank you!”

The next was Asgore's. I pulled out a glowing blue flower, much like the one that had been down in the Underground. Everyone around me seemed shocked, even Flowey. They all turned to Asgore, who rubbed the back of his head and chuckled sheepishly.

Hah, sheepishly. He's a goat.

“i thought those things couldn't survive up here,” Sans said.

“They usually cannot, you are right,” he spoke. “But this one, I managed to help make it survive with a very strict schedule.” He looked at me. “I left the instructions for you in the bag.”

“Thank you, but...I've seen it before...?”

“an echo flower,” G said, almost reverently.

“Echo flower...like in Waterfall?”

“yupp, and usually, they repeat everything you say...but this one isn't,” Sans murmured. He looked to the former King of the monsters. “why isn't echoing?”

“I think it may be one of the properties it loses when it makes its way up to the surface,” Asgore mused. “I kept trying myself, but it was of no use.”

I placed the glowing flower beside me, touching one of its petals in awe. It was beautiful, almost reminding me of the color of Sans's magic. It gave off a soft pulsating light, one not really noticed unless all the lights were off. I touched the petals once more before turning to face my boys.

“Where are they?”

They all tried looking innocent, and all five failed.

“we don't know what'cha talkin' about, sweetheart,” Red said, shrugging his shoulders.

“ya said ya didn't want anything,” Sans agreed.

“Boys.”

They laughed and each pulled out a present. The wrapping paper for each was of their own magic colors and I laughed, holding out my hand for G's first. He seemed taken aback but handed it off to me, the bone above his nasal ridge turning yellow. I chuckled and opened it carefully.

Inside was a leather coat, much like G's. I pulled it from the box and looked at it wide eyed. There was a red patch that had the same creature on it, the Gaster Blaster. There was fur around the hood and it seemed like it was created to be the same as his usual one. Cropped. I held it closer to me and I caught a whiff of him. Which meant he'd had this one for a while.

“Did you buy this or is it a hand-me-down?” I asked.

“i bought this a week or so ago, when we figured out it was your birthday today,” he muttered. “i've been keeping it in my room.”

Next was Stretch. He handed me a much smaller box, but seemed very satisfied with himself. I opened the bag up to find a small velvet jewelry box. I pulled it out and opened it, my hand covering my mouth. It was a bracelet I'd seen one day while gathering groceries. I had found it amazing because it had a stone in the colors of all their magic.

_“I really need this,” I'd muttered._

_“why? 's just a silly bracelet,” Stretch said, leaning against the wall next to you, his cigarette smoke billowing into the air._

_“Because look! There's a stone for each color of y'all's magic! Or as close to. See, the topaz is for G. Aquamarine for the original Sans. Ruby for Red. Hessonite for you. And crystal for Ink.”_

_Stretch looked at you puzzled for a moment. “Why that for Ink?”_

_I hummed as I continued watching the bracelet twinkle in the afternoon light. “Because he isn't any one color, like you guys. He is all of them. He's a rainbow of bright colors and amazing talents. And just like any gem, you all are unique.”_

It felt like yesterday when I had said that to him. I remember staring at it longingly for a few moments before telling Stretch to follow. I swallowed the lump in my throat and turned it into the light outside. I smiled and closed the box reaching behind me to stroke his cheekbone.

“Thank you.”

I moved my hand down and Ink shoved his in my face. It was a large frame like package, and I already guessed what it could be. Stretch and G came around to help me stand it upright while I took a good chunk of the paper and tore down.

It was an enlarged picture of all of us. This wasn't any one specific day. In fact, it was just the group of us together. Everyone wore the clothes they always wore. Their usual hoodies and coats and scarf. I stood in the direct middle, smiling and holding out a peace sign. The others reminded me of a ladder. Ink and Sans were on either side of me. Behind them were G and Red. Then Stretch made up the single space behind me. Each of them were watching me with stars in their eye sockets.

I went to turn to him before I looked down and saw another piece of sketch paper in the very corner of the frame. I bent down, resting on the balls of my feet. There was Frisk and I, talking with Flowey sitting beside us pouting. His little leaves were crossed and though he looked grumpy, he actually seemed at peace. Frisk and I were laughing about something, our heads tilted toward each other.

“That is absolutely amazing!” Toriel gushed. “I didn't realize the talent you really had, Ink!”

His skull lit up with its swirling colors as he rubbed the back of his head. “thanks, your highness.”

She waved it off as Sans handed his present to me next. I dug around, grumbling about the amount of paper he used. He was chuckling as I pulled out another jewelry box, this time it was a necklace. It was of my name, with a green heart that looped off of the “L”. I stared at it; I had never found anything with my name on it, ever. It wasn't a rare name, but there wasn't an influx of keychains and necklaces with my name.

He pressed a kiss to my temple without me having to say anything. I put that down as well when Red handed me his. It was a decent sized box and I tore open the paper. I open the cardboard box to reveal...

A collar.

While every hooted and started making inappropriate jokes, I knew how much this actually meant to him. I remembered the night I had stayed in his room. My first night here, when he had told me his collar was one that told everyone in his universe's Underground that he was protected. I reached around to give him a small kiss on his teeth. His entire skull was ruby red and he grumbled under his breath. But he seemed pleased.

I tucked that away with the rest of the stuff. I'd let him put it on later.

I had a party to enjoy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I would have updated right after work, but, well, today was an exhausting day. So I took a nap. So you have this now instead of much earlier.
> 
> Have some more fluff!
> 
> Hope you enjoyed! Aren't the boys just _**so fucking cute?**_


	20. Collars and Robots

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I let Red do something i knew he wanted to.
> 
> Sans is upset Mettaton is still in the house.
> 
> i go to find him...and it looks like I got more than I bargained for...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Before I forget, **there is smut toward the end of the chapter**! Be forewarned. If you don't wanna read it, you'll know where to stop. Don't worry; all smut is skippable.

The next day, I woke up with a pounding headache. I groaned and turned toward the window, stuffing the side of my face into my pillow. I hadn't had anything to drink last night, though Grillby said he wanted me to come by and see if we can find my limits. The others hadn't been too keen on it, but I'd winked at Grillby and agreed.

“ya okay, sweetheart?”

Red's sleep husked voice sent a chill racing through me. I turned back over and looked at him through my lashes. His eyes were half lidded and his eye lights were red. He reached out and moved the hair from my face, his clawed phalanges stroking my cheek lightly. I leaned into his hand.

“I'm okay, Red,” I murmured. “Just a headache.”

“heh, humans are weird,” he grumbled.

He went to lean down and paused, his eye lights flickering ovre my face for a minute. I reached up to touch his cheek and leaned forward, pressing my mouth to his fangs. He hummed in happiness and wrapped his fingers in my hair, gripping and tugging it slightly to the left.

It didn't last long, though, as he pulled away and placed his forehead on mine. He was panting and squeezing his sockets shut.

“sorry, fuckin' bond 'nd shit...”

“I know, honey,” I murmured. “It'll be okay.”

I stroked his cheek while his breathing evened out, his eyes still shut. I looked at the clock and nearly groaned. It was nine thirty in the morning. Why the fuck was I awake? This sounds like a good time for an iced coffee. Maybe vanilla. That sounded really good.

For the next hour, we just laid there. I was wrapped in his arms as he stroked my hair. I could hear a thrum from his chest and figured it may have just been his soul. There were a few times I almost drifted off into another slumber. But I forced myself to stay awake. I only finally moved because I started feeling dirty.

When I looked up to tell Red that I was going to go take a shower, he was fast asleep again. His eyes were closed easily once more and his breathing had evened out. He looked so peaceful while he was sleeping. I don't think he even noticed, but I could see the way he reacted to a lot of things. He jumped at loud noises (not including Papyrus and Blueberry). He always seemed to fall asleep in the most inconvenient places. Plus, he tossed and turned a lot in his sleep. And snored. Loudly, might I add.

I slipped away from him, careful not to jostle him too much as I made my way to my dresser and grabbing clothes for the day. I went into the bathroom and shut the door, turning on the water. I let the bathroom steam up for a second before I got in, shutting the curtain.

I rinsed off my hair first, scrubbing it with my shampoo and conditioner. I kept the conditioner in my hair as I lathered up the loofah with my soap and started scrubbing myself down. I hummed to myself silently as I stepped back under and let the hot spray run over my body.

I looked down and covered my stomach with my arms. Even though the boys seemed to love snuggling me, I couldn't help but think I was fat. I mean, I knew I wasn't fat, but at the same time...it was hard to think otherwise. I jiggled in all the places people generally looked first. And when the boys took me out, I wore as much as I could to try and cover it up. But even jeans can't stop the disgusting way my body moved.

I got out of the shower and wrapped myself and my hair in a towel, opening a medicine cabinet that was in one of the many mirrors that made up part of the wall. I pulled out my toothbrush and toothpaste. I brushed my teeth, keeping the faucet going as I spit it out and swished around some water. I used mouthwash as well before drying off completely and throwing my clothes on. I adjusted the waistband of my pants a little, and took the towel off my hair.

After blow drying my hair, I ran my brush through it one more time before stepping out. Red was sitting up, rubbing his eyes with both of his fists. It reminded me of a little kid. He looked up and smiled at me sleepily before holding his arms out to me. I went over to him and sat beside him, where he wrapped me up in a warm hug.

He nuzzled his face into my shoulder. “you smell good.”

“Showers help with that,” I said sarcastically. 

“showers are great,” he said.

Oh god. I could feel my pun senses tingling.

“i like to sing in them,” he continued. “until i get soap in my mouth. then it's more like a _soap opera_.”

I groaned, moving to get away from him. He held on tighter as he laughed, keeping me hostage as I struggled to get away from him. My struggle didn't seem to deter him.

“why did the burglar steal the shower?”

“Red, no.”

“red, yes,” he shot back before continuing, “but it's because he wanted to make a _clean_ getaway.”

“Oh my god, if you don't stop...”

He cackled some more. “okay, okay, 'm done, sweetheart.”

I stopped and side eyed him before relaxing against him again. I laid my head on his shoulder and he nuzzled his cheek against the top of my hair. I could hear him take a deep breath while I looked around my room. My eyes landed on a familiar box.

“So...the collar.”

He paused his nuzzling, and his semi quiet purring ceased as well. Warmth seemed to cover the top of my head so I looked up to see his skull turning the same deep red as his magic. I smiled up at him and made him face me. He didn't meet my gaze for a few moments. But when he did, I shook my head at him, still smiling.

“Thank you. The others may not understand...well, Ink might. But I do,” I told him firmly. “That's all that matters. Did you...” I could feel my own face turn red.

He tilted his head, his grin turning feral again. His eye lights remained white, though, so that was a good sign. Instead of doing something he would usually do, he thunked his forehead on mine and chuckled.

“yer amazin', sweetheart,” he whispered. “yeah, lemme do it.”

He let me go to go grab the box. I brought it over to him, sitting back down and placing it between us. He opened the box and took out the collar. I didn't get a good look at it the day prior, wanting to spare him from anymore shit the others were giving him. It was black and red with mini studs around it. There was a even a little loop where you would put a tag or leash on the front, and it had three snaps.

I turned my back to him and lifted my hair. He moved closer, scooting the box away so he could get directly behind me. I watched his arms come around, one hand holding the collar. He moved it around so it was resting against the front of my throat. With a few more movements, I felt it tighten a little I heard one of the snaps settle into place. I let my hair fall back into place and turned to face him.

It was made of leather and it was cool against my throat as he stared in wonder at it. One of his phalanges stroked it, pressing the metal loop against the little dip between my collarbones. He looked up at me with a smile.

“perfect.”

Just that one word made my day that much better.

**

When we went downstairs, the others all looked like they had just rolled out of bed themselves. Ink was the only one who seemed to be doing something productive, hanging upside down on the couch with his feet up against the back rest. His head dangled toward the ground as he drew something in his ever-present sketchbook, his colorful tongue poking out between his teeth.

Red went to join G and Stretch by smoker's corner, giving me a firm swat on the ass. I rolled my eyes, taking a seat next to Sans who was tapping away at his phone. When I took a seat, he looked over, his eyes landing at the collar and necklace against my chest and neck. He gave a small, happy smile. He went back to his phone, wrapping an arm around the back of the couch behind me, tugging me against him.

I rubbed my cheek against his blue hoodie, sighing. I knew I needed to read that book some more. I had a review to do on it, after all. But being by these guys was just so much better.

“Well, good morning, darlings~!”

I didn't even have a chance to move myself before Sans reacted, getting up from his seat and leaving the room. I almost toppled over if Stretch's magic hadn't caught me from landing flat on my face. The hum and tingle of the magic that encased me lifted me up and set me back on the couch sitting upright. I looked over at him as his eye and hand faded their magic, giving me a small wink. I chuckled and looked over.

Mettaton was watching with a sad puppy like face as Sans walked out the door. He practically slammed it shut on his way out. I winced but shook my head. The others seemed to wince at this, all but Ink and Stretch. It made me wonder who Mettaton was in his universe.

“Morning, Mettaton,” I said, waving at him a little. “Did you end up staying the night?”

“Oh, I did!” he said as he came over and plopped beside me. He slung an arm around my shoulder, causing Red to growl at him. “I stayed up all night with Papyrus talking about this and that. He even showed me all of his action figures! It was so precious!”

I laughed, removing his arm. “That's good to hear, Mettaton.”

After another hour, there was still no sign of Sans. I looked around. Ink was still focused on his newest art work and Red was passed out beside him. G and Stretch were looking over some notes, each of them wearing a pair of glasses. I was seriously beginning to wonder how they stayed up when I saw little bits of yellow and orange magic on the ends of the legs. I chuckled and stood up, heading for the door.

“I'm gonna go find Sans,” I called out.

“we'll be here, angel,” G shouted back to let me know that they heard.

I grabbed my new coat that G had gotten me yesterday and threw it on before stepping outside. The bite of fall was here, but I could tell that the chill in the air was from more than the weather. I looked around before seeing Sans's blue hoodie down by the lake.

I carefully made my way down the hill, using the trees nearby to help my descent a little better. When I made it to the bottom, he didn't turn to me as I came toward him. He was staring over the water, watching as the wind sent ripples over the surface. I tucked my hair behind my ear and came up beside him. He made notice I was there by grabbing my hand loosely with his.

We stood and watched the water for a couple minutes before I spoke.

“Are you alright?”

“fine,” he mumbled. “just not fond of that stupid calculator.”

I chuckled. “He isn't one of those.”

“ya never saw him underground.”

Fair enough.

“sorry, princess,” he sighed. “i just don't like him hangin' around paps, is all.”

“I get it.” Kind of.

“let's get'cha back inside,” he said, turning for the house and tightening his grip, tugging me with him. “ya gotta be cold.”

“I'm alright,” I lied.

“let's go.”

I grumbled as he dragged me back up the hill, threatening to teleport with me if I didn't stop being stubborn. I huffed, but did as I was told and followed him up the hill. When we made it back to the house, he paused on the porch and turned to look at me, his eye lights running my form up and down.

The way he was doing it made me feel self conscious, so I covered my front with my arms. I tried to nonchalantly move them in front of me, but he noticed, grabbing both of my wrists and moving them aside slowly. I kept my head down and stared at my shoes.

His finger tilted my chin up and I looked up at him. He wasn't very tall himself, I'd realized. Though they were all short, save Stretch and G, they were still taller than I was. But it was at this moment I was really glad I was shorter than someone.

“don't be shy,” he whispered. His other hand came up to caress my cheek. “never be shy. with any of us. you're perfect the way you are.”

He leaned down to kiss me, a gentle meeting of malleable bone and lips. I let the breath I'd been holding go and sighed against his mouth. There was something tingling and wet demanding entrance, and I gave it to him gladly.

Something that was once sweet, turned into something demanding. He had backed us up until my back his the siding of the house, my only protection the leather coat as Sans lifted me. He settled me by his waist, where I wrapped my legs around him. Like with Stretch, my knees settled perfectly over the arches of his pelvis.

It was a war of tongues, tingling magic demanding total submission. His hand that had been on my chin had moved and wrapped itself in my hair, tugging with brute force. I gasped against him, the pain sending pleasurable shocks through my body. I arched against him, my fists clenching into his hoodie, my legs tightening around him. My ankles locked together at the base of hi spine.

His other hand squeezed my hip in an almost punishing grip. My body locked up, my head thrown back out of the kiss as he buried his face in the crook of my neck, right below Red's collar. I heard the faint sound of a clack before he bit my shoulder, rough enough to almost pierce the skin. I covered my mouth as a scream almost tore itself from my throat, the pain-pleasure tearing through my body like a wrecking ball.

There it was, that tight coil in my lower belly. It was becoming an unbearable ache against my core, and I whimpered from behind my hand. I watched his shoulders move, felt his deep chuckle against my ribs. I closed my eyes as the ache grew.

“what's wrong, princess?” he whispered darkly against my shoulder, his tongue lapping at the wound. “ya seem a little...tense.”

He ground his pelvic bone into me and I cried out, the hand still on his hoodie gripping just a little tighter. My back arched once more against him and I could feel the cool of his bone against my skin. His hand traveled beneath my shirt and went up, toying with the front of my bra.

“look at ya being so _needy_ ,” he hiss against my ear, nipping it. “you're practically begging for it.”

He wasn't wrong; his words brought my attention to the fact I was moving my hips, trying to ease the ache between my legs. I let out a small cry as he yanked down the cup of my bra, his thumb gently grazing over my nipple. My body jerked beneath him.

I couldn't feel the cold anymore. My body was on fire. I could feel my breath coming in short pants as he tweaked my nipple with his thumb. It was also this moment I was glad they didn't have close enough neighbors. They would have been getting a fantastic show right now.

“hang on, princess.”

The world was falling, and for a brief moment, I felt my organs rearranging again. When the feeling faded, we were in my room and I felt the coolness of my bed against my back. I panted, looking up at him as he loomed over me.

He seemed to be doing better than I currently was. He was panting himself, but there was a smirk plastered on his face as he looked down at me with half closed sockets. There were no words, just his teeth crashing against my mouth in a kiss.

I hooked one of my legs over his spine, letting it dangle as his hand went back up my shirt. I could hear fabric ripping as he tore the front of my bra apart, the now separate cups loosening on my body, sagging to either side. His hand engulfed my breast and I arched my back a little to apply more pressure.

I didn't know what was happening to my body. Sure, I'd had hot make out sessions with guys before. But none of them had made me feel like this. My body was lighting up and I felt like I would be set aflame at any moment.

His fingers ran over my nipple and I jolted again my hips bucking into his pelvis. He chuckled as he pulled away from me, going back down my neck. He licked the wound he created once more and moved lower, his free hand, running down my side. He stopped at the hem of my shirt and looked up at me, his right eye light his blue orb of magic. His mouth was open and his tongue was poking out. The tip wasn't pointed like Red's was, but it still held the same effect as he ran it over the thin strip of skin showing between my shirt and pants.

I threw my head back, gasping. There was a slight tugging motion and I looked back down again to see my shirt, between his teeth. And he was pulling my shirt up. With his teeth.

I went to stop him, still self conscious, but he was quicker. Both of his hands were pinning my arms down, a smirk still on his face as he continued upward with my shirt, stopping just below my chest. He looked up at me, waiting for my approval to keep going. After giving it a thought, I nodded. Whether it was really me, or just the lust filled haze I was in, I didn't care.

He moved it the rest of the way up, stopping it just below my chin. My bra, completely severed in two, fell off to the sides. When he moved back down, he took in a deep breath, his eye lights roaming over them reverently. I wanted to move, to cover myself from him. He could see all the stretch marks and the lacerations covering my skin. One hand came up and ran over a long scar, just at the top of my left breast. He looked at me and I shook my head.

Not now.

His head dipped and he laved his tongue over one my nipples. I cried out, the sensation new to me. My hands flew to cup each side of his skull, my fingernails trying to dig into the bone. He repeated it again, sending tingles rocketing through my body.

He pulled away suddenly, panting. His cyan magic covered the front of his skill, right over his nasal passage. A pang of hurt settled through me.

“Sans, are you...”

“i have to leave...” He looked panicked as he looked around all over, trying to get off of me. “you're not ready...bond...”

His broken sentences brought clarity to me. Before he could leave, I snagged his wrist. He looked down at me, his sockets so wide I thought they were going to crack his skull.

“It's okay,” I said softly. I pointed to collar. “I'm okay. I'm...I'm ready...”

The words came out strangled, and it took a second for him to get the meaning behind my them. I let go of his wrist as he came and crawled over me again. He put his forehead against mine, his breathing coming out fast. I could hear rattling as he shook above me, his lights meeting my eyes.

“are you sure?”

I nodded.

“this is your last chance to back out of this, princess.” His eye lights flicked back and forth. “anytime ya wanna stop, i will. but it'll be harder once we start. last chance.”

I tamped down on the lust for a moment to really think about what I had said. Was I ready? Was I really ready to give up my virginity? To a skeleton nonetheless. He was my soulmate, and had his machine not malfunctioned, it would have been just him and I. I thought about how the others would feel before I decided to hell with it.

I wanted Sans. I wanted him as much as he showed he wanted me at this very moment.

I gave him my nod of consent before he breathed out.

“ya've been warned.”

His mouth crashed to mine once more.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, yeah. About to bone the small skeleton.
> 
> I wasn't going to post this just yet, but i finished the 22nd chapter early. Probably would have been earlier, had I not been put into a food coma.
> 
> One of my weaknesses, is food. The other is iced coffee. I love iced coffee.
> 
> And yes, this does mean that the next chapter will have smut in it. If you don't want to read it, you don't have to. It's skippable, and I'll sum up what happened in that chapter in chapter 22's summary.
> 
> Hope ya enjoy! And if you want more info on updates about AAO, you can always follow my tumblr! (:  
> [https://www.tumblr.com/blog/darkkfoxxx](url)
> 
> Hope y'all enjoyed, and I'll see all you dirty sinners in the next chapter!


	21. For The Very First Time*

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Well, I bone the small, classic skeleton.
> 
> Also, something happens after...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **SMUT SMUT SMUT SMUT SMUT WARNING!!**
> 
> These chapters are skippable. But, as for all of you dirty sinners, here is the chapter y'all have been waiting for. Sorry it took so long!
> 
> Enjoy, **you filthy sinners, you**. :3

There was the sound of the lock to my room clicking into place. I ignored it as Sans gripped my sides tightly, his thumbs digging into the skin of my hips. I rolled them, the lust returning and clouding my thoughts as his magic tingled against my mouth. I opened my mouth to grant him entrance and he took it, one of his hands coming up to grip my throat.

I shoved off his hoodie, impatience settling in every jerky moment I had. He pulled away and took it off completely, throwing it to the other side of the room. He was back on me in a second, his hand back on my throat, his other hand grabbing my breast. I cried out as his forefinger and his thumb pinched and twisted a little.

My back arched off the bed as his head dipped and laved it with his tongue, soothing the ache he created. His hand tightened against my throat and I gasped, a little moan tearing from my throat as his teeth closed around it gently.

He moved further down, his palm leaving my throat. He tugged at the waist band of my pants and I looked down with half opened lids. He was looking up at me with a small smirk on his face, his left eye light still white, but his other completely blue, magic leaking from the side of his socket.

“ya look so good, looking at me like that,” he said, his tongue coming out to run over his teeth. “don't worry, princess.”

He pulled my pants down some, his hand following the movement. His fingers were feather light as they skirted across my thighs. I let out a whine. He was so close. This ache was horrible. I wanted it gone, _needed_ to feel it...

His finger barely grazed the top of my mound with my panties on and I nearly bucked off the bed, my hands clenching the pillow I was laying on. He chuckled lowly, moving himself so his other arm was across my hips. He applied more pressure and I could feel my thighs tremble, moans and gasps filling the air around us.

“ya sound so good,” he groaned.

His finger started circling my clit. I let out a breathy moan, bringing my arm to my face and biting down to quiet myself. He chuckled darkly, his free hand encasing in magic. He waved his hand and his cyan magic covered my arm. It was lifted away and pinned above my head, and the other arm followed suit two seconds later. I cried out again as another finger joined the first, circling my clit at a slow pace.

“uh-uh,” he tutted. “i want you to be heard, ya hear me?”

I could only respond by nodding my head. Just barely. Tingles and shivers shot through my body, a tingling sensation beginning at the base of my spine. I tried moving my hands, but even though his hand wasn't glowing anymore, my hands were still held in place with his magic.

This was a different side of Sans. I would have expected this from Red, maybe even G and Stretch. But the dominance coming from him was astounding. And, quite frankly, it was fucking hot. The way he loomed over me, his eyes watched my every moment, studied every quaking breath. Ran over quivering thighs. He was in control, and he fucking knew it.

His fingers moved up and down. My panties were soaked, sticking to me in such an embarrassing way I was close to just closing my legs. I looked down at him, noticing there was a tent in his shorts that glowed the same color as his magic. So G had been lying; there were other things that could be created with their magic.

“so slick...” he murmured.

He moved my panties to the side and uncovered my pussy to him. His face was dusted with his blue blush, even as he used his free hand to touch my bare clit. I cried out, louder than I had thus far. He seemed entranced by my reactions, his eye lights on my face as my face twisted in shocked pleasure. A small smile formed on his face.

With one fluid movement, he tore my bottoms and panties off my legs, discarding them somewhere in the room with his hoodie. He moved back to study me once more, his gaze hungry as he took in every jiggly inch. My shirt was still pushed up to my chin and each cup of my bra was still sitting on either side of me. From there down, I was naked.

I could feel a chill in the air, raising goosebumps on my skin. He threw one leg over me so he was straddling me, leaning down and burying his face by my clavicle, just under my shirt. I arched against him, his hand continuing its ministrations. I gasped softly as he nipped at my collarbone, running his tongue over it when I groaned.

“Sans,” I panted. “Sans, please...”

My mind was cloudy. I couldn't think straight or think about what I was doing. I kept trying to tug my hands free, rid myself of the cool magic. It tingled against my skin, teasing the soft skin of my wrist.

“what is it, princess?” he husked against me, his breath hot against my skin. “tell me what you need.”

“I...I don't know,” I whined. “Tight...hot...”

“so needy,” he cooed.

His hand started moving faster, his finger pressing harder against my clit as he moved it in circles. I let out a loud moan, my thigh trembling and hips moving with him. The coil in my belly was tightening, and I could feel myself clench. When I finally hit the peak, my back completely arched off the bed, pressing against him and almost screaming.

His mouth crashed to mine part way through my climax. He tried to stifle it, his tongue coaxing itself into my mouth and swallowing the sounds. I groaned and writhed against him. The feeling of his magic left my wrists and I latched onto him, trying to ground myself.

My hands went to his ribs, and there was a sharp intake of breath. I moved my hands over the fabric of his shirt before I realized what I had grabbed. The feeling of his lower ribs had my heart racing in my chest, my pulse beating at my throat.

He sat up, moving my hands as he removed his shirt. I took this time to study him. He was made up kind of like a human skeleton, but not. There were more bones that weren't there in our own bodies. And, right where the heart would be on me, there was a glowing white upside down heart floating, pressing against his rib cage like it was trying to break free.

“if we're gonna do this,” he panted out, “we're doing this right.”

He held out a hand, crooking his finger in a “come hither” motion again. I felt that sharp tug I had at the library and watched as my soul appeared before the both of us. It was a radiant green, the other colors I had buried in there mixing among the edges. I could what he meant, by how bright it was now than what it was in the library. It was almost blinding, and I watched as his own soul seemed to try and break free of its cage.

He held a hand to himself and with a small yanking motion, it emerged, brighter than his bones in the sunlight. I was entranced by the way the way it was dancing close to my own soul, as though preforming some kind of mating dance. My soul responded in kind, floating and bouncing around with his. The colors lit up the room.

He leaned down again as they floated high, his mouth on mine once more, his breathing faster. I clutched at his shoulders as his hips worked against me, something warm and thick pushing against my thigh. The thought of it made my pussy throb, the ache rebuilding once more.

He moved down, giving my flesh little nips and licks. I noticed his slippers had fallen off at some point, even though it was one of the stupidest things to notice at that moment. My eyes followed him lazily until he stopped right between my thighs, his breath caressing my core. My eyes nearly bugged out of my head and I went to sit up before an unseen force pushed me back down.

His eye was leaking more magic than it had earlier, and his breathing was coming out faster. His tongue lolled out between his teeth and he looked up at me, hunger flashing through his eyes. I felt a shiver go through my spine as he chuckled.

“lemme show ya a good time, princess.”

He took one long, slow lick. It started at the bottom by the hole and stopped at my clit, where he gently nipped the throbbing bud. I yelled out his name, gasping as my body shuddered. He seemed satisfied by this reaction and did it again, trailing a lazy circle around my swollen nub. He repeated this process, my thighs clenching around his skull as I threw my head back.

Then his tongue delved inside and I damn near lost my shit.

“Fuck!” His arm held down my waist as I bucked beneath him.

I could see our souls above us, dancing close to each other as we came closer and closer. The coil in my belly was tightening again, becoming fucking unbearable. I gripped the sheets in white knuckled fists, trying to keep myself grounded as Sans continued using his tongue. I could hear obscene noises coming from down there, but I didn't care so long as he _kept fucking going_.

I could feel my walls clench around his tongue as I neared my second climax. I could feel tears stinging my eyes. His tongue moved back to my clit, but before I could sigh, he shoved two fingers into me. My climax was instantaneous.

Through my lust filled haze, I could see the souls drawing ever closer. They weren't quite touching yet, but I could see that as I hit my peak, my soul quivered with me. Through my orgasm induced haze, I could feel the slight pain from where his fingers speared me. I groaned as he moved them, slowly, so slowly.

I was oversensitive, and I could feel the way the bone of his fingers scraped against my walls. Somehow, someway, my body started to coil again, the feeling starting just below my womb. I whined, running a hand over his skull.

“Sans,” I whimpered.

He removed his fingers, and I immediately felt empty. My body moved on its own, my hips rolling to try and get the feeling back. He chuckled, reaching up to run a finger down my cheek. I was dripping with need, and I needed it released. I needed it gone. I wanted it gone. I wanted him. In this moment, it was just us, like it should have been when I first met him all that time ago.

He moved a little, moving his shorts off of him. When they were tossed to the side, my eyes widened in horror. How was that supposed to fit? I could feel the sweat forming on my back and my forehead already. There was no way that...thing could fit. It looked like an actual human cock. But instead of flesh, it was made of blue magic, almost translucent. I sat up a little, running my finger over the tip.

He groaned, and it twitched. I was fascinated, but I didn't get far in my exploration before he was on me again, pinning me to the bed and holding me there. His cock lined up with my slit, and I tensed, closing my eyes.

“This is gonna hurt,” I whimpered.

“i got you, princess,” he whispered to me. “ya gotta trust me.”

He started pushing in, slowly. It was tight, and there was sweat forming on his skull with the effort it took for him to hold himself back. His fingers dug into the sheets by my head, pulling at them with amount of restrain he was holding onto. And it was a very fine thread.

I couldn't take this slow shit. I wanted this over with so I could feel him. Be with him. He was mine. I reached around and gripped the base of his spine, causing him to gasp and jerk, burying himself to the hilt within me.

I cried out, pain and shock throwing me over the edge. I came again while he whispered to me, telling me it was okay and that I was doing good. He kissed my face, my lips, my cheeks, any part he could get to while I grew accustomed to his size and girth.

After a few minutes the pain subsided and I gripped his spine again in a quick squeeze. He jerked again, his brow bones furrowed as he moved within me. I moaned out, the feeling of being this full slowly killing me.

“Don't, don't stop,” I panted. “Please. Sans...”

He didn't need anymore. He moved within me, keeping a steady pace. His arms were shaking, and I could hear his bones rattling. I grit my teeth. Not enough, never enough. I gripped his lower ribs, his low moan music to my ears. I pulled him forward, staring him right in his eye lights.

“Faster,” I begged. “Please...”

He needed no further encouragement. I could see the resolve snapping within him as his eye light shrunk in his socket. He moved all the way out.

And then slammed right back in.

I screamed out, my back moving off the bed as he continued that. I could hear the juices from my body as his pelvic bone met my soft flesh. He leaned down, his tongue licking up between the valley of my breasts.

The headboard was smacking against the wall as I cried out, calling his name. Gasping, moaning. Screaming. It felt so good. It felt like nothing I had ever experienced. My body was on fire, my blood was boiling beneath my skin.

I could see our souls above us, just a sliver away from each other. My eyes were half closed when I felt a bite, right below my collarbone. I shut my eyes all the way as I came around him, unraveling as I felt my body fall from the highest precipice it had ever been on.

“that's my girl,” he murmured huskily, slowing down just slightly, drawing it out. “that's it, princess. that's such a good girl...”

I felt him lean away from me and when I had come all the way back down, he moved so my legs were over his shoulders. I whined, the tip of him hitting against my cervix. His eye light was small in left eye and his right eye was almost bursting with unreleased magic. His hand wrapped around my throat and squeezed as he fucked me with renewed efforts.

I could feel every part of me jiggle, but it went completely unnoticed as I screamed out his name again and again, the new position letting him hit so deep in me, I was afraid he would pop out of my throat. He tightened his grip on my throat and I let out a slight gagging noise, feeling like I was going to fall again.

“cum again for me, princess,” he whispered darkly. “cum on my cock.”

I did as told and exploded.

“Sans!”

With that final orgasm, there was a blinding light, and there was a peace that settled within me, a feeling of being whole. He came not too long after me, his dick twitching inside of me as he emptied himself inside of me. He jerked above me, his hand leaving my throat as he gasped out my name.

“jewel, my precious jewel,” he repeated. “that's such a good girl...”

The light faded when he collapsed on top of me. I looked up and saw that part of my soul was no longer green. It had a small piece of white, and there was a little bit of green in his own soul now. They drifted back down, still tangling around themselves as the came down. Sans lifted his hand lazily and moved them back to their respective bodies, letting his hand fall back down.

He stayed on top of me, his breathing shaky. I rubbed his skull in silence as I felt myself empty, his magic dissipating. He looked up at me, both his eye lights their normal size and color. He gave me a lazy grin.

“you alright?”

I nodded slowly, sleepily. “I'm okay.”

At least, that's what I thought.

There was a loud crash downstairs that made both of us shoot upright. We looked at the door, then at each other. Then once more at the door. We waited for a beat before there was another crash and voices raising. We wasted no time in getting off the bed and getting dressed again.

Sans unlocked the door and ran out of the room first while I fixed my shirt. As I took off the torn bra, I caught a look at myself in the reflection of the vanity mirror and cringed. I guess you could describe it as “well fucked”. It wasn't wrong, though.

When the third crash came, I jolted and headed out of the room, leaving my torn bra on the floor. I would deal with that damage later. Something told me I had more important shit to worry about.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And there's the first smut.
> 
> Hope y'all enjoyed, <3


	22. N1c3 Tttto M33et yY@

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Red loses his shit.  
> I meet someone new. Someone I've heard about.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so sorry about the two week hiatus. I recently left a very toxic, very abusive relationship. I thank all of you for being patient with me. It wasn't easy and I'm still gathering my bearings.
> 
> Enjoy your long awaited chapter!

When I made it downstairs, it was a fucking horror show.

One of the couches had been thrown and there were a few more holes in the walls. Sans was beside me, taking in the damage with empty sockets. There was a glowing bone in the TV and the coffee table was turned onto its side. There was a broken lamp on the floor that Papyrus was trying to clean up as I heard grunts and cursing.

I looked in that direction and my eyes widened. G and Stretch were struggling to hold Red. Red looked...animalistic. His eye lights had gone red and his whole body seemed to vibrating with his anger. It was like he was seeing nothing as he summoned another bone and it went in a random direction, embedding itself in a wall. Then I could hear him. He was talking, but it was gruffer because of the state he was in.

“'s not fair!” he was yelling. “shoulda been me! it _shoulda been me_!”

He screamed the last part when his eyes landed on me. But the sight of me didn't calm him, like it usually would have. He took in my messy hair and askew clothes and his anger seemed spike more. I think what tipped him over the edge was seeing the collar around my neck and my state, because he struggled more, causing Ink to have to jump in with Blueberry right behind him.

“red, knock it off!” Ink yelled.

But he wouldn't. He wasn't giving leeway and he managed to break free of them. As he knocked them all back with a wave of red magic, he charged, but he wasn't heading for me. He was heading for Sans. I held my hand to my mouth as I looked over at him.

He looked calm, his hands in his pockets. He hadn't put on his jacket, and I didn't even realize his shorts had pockets in them. It was like watching in slow motion, Red going toward Sans like the speed of light. I've heard Papyrus and Blueberry complain they're all lazybones, but they didn't look like it right now.

Just as Red was about to close the distance, Sans's eye flashed blue, and his hand shot from his pocket, his hand enveloped in his magic as he aimed it at Red. Red shouted out in anger as I looked at him. Sans had caught him, dangling him up in the air with his magic. Red snarled at him, his own eye flashing ruby red. But it was like magic was nulled out, even as he tried to summon anything he could to throw at Sans.

The others had gotten up, all of them watching the exchange carefully. Ink seemed unfazed by it, making his way over to me, but keeping an eye on the original Sans. He grabbed my arm and pulled me to him, slowly inching me away from the scene before us.

The Red I had come to adore was gone. He was in some kind of state that reminded me of the universe he came from. Where “kill or be killed” was just another day in the life. His white eye lights were gone, and his red magic flared in place of where his red eye lights had been just moments ago. His hand was encased in the red magic, and still nothing came. He was snarling and growling, words no longer leaving him. He was like an animal.

Then Sans slammed his hand down, and Red followed suit. Red slammed into the floor, the sound loud in the room even with the fuzzy carpet. I yelled out and went to go to Red as he was lifted off the floor and flung into the wall like a rag doll. Ink held me strong, keeping his grip on my arm. I turned to look back at him, ready to snap something when his eye lights met mine.

There was an understanding there. Red wouldn't care what I said. If I went to him, there could be disastrous consequences. I felt a tear fall down my face as Sans repeated this, slamming Red into everything he was able to. Red didn't give up though, struggling through the magic holding him.

He finally crashed through the coffee table, and G and Stretch were on him, holding him once more. Though he looked beat up and there were a few tears in his clothes, he didn't stop. He was a literal animal in that moment. Sans shook his head.

“put him in his cage,” he murmured, turning away.

I was on the floor with Ink, my face buried in his scarf. He was rubbing my back gently, talking with Sans about what to do next. I thought about the cage I had seen with the leash attached to it in the basement and my body trembled. My hand clutched the collar at my throat.

That wasn't Red. That wasn't my Red. That was something completely different, reminding me he wasn't all puns and cockiness. It was a harsh reminder that he came from a world where you got what you wanted by killing the one who had it first. It was a harsh reminder that he wasn't as gentle as he came off to be.

Sans sat next to us as a door slammed and Red's snarling was cut off entirely. I clung to Ink's scarf like it was the only thing that was holding me to reality.

“when did that happen?” Sans sighed.

“probably about the time the souls merged,” Ink muttered, rubbing small circles on my back. “we all felt it, and he just lost it. started shaking and muttering to himself then he heard her and basically started tearing the place apart.”

Sans shook his head. “lemme have her; help the others clean up and fix the walls and shit.”

He nodded. I let out a whimper, trying to scamper back into his arms as he handed me over to Sans. Sans wrapped his arms around me as Ink got up, whipping his paintbrush out with such precision, it made me wonder how often he did that. I curled into Sans, feeling his bones shift underneath me.

“you okay?” he whispered into my hair.

“I...I think so.” I burrowed deeper. “Just tired...”

“go to sleep for a little bit,” he murmured, his teeth pressing against my hair in a kiss. “we got you.”

So I did. Wrapped in the safety of my skeleton, I closed my eyes and let sleep take over.

**

What was going on? I looked around me, rubbing my arms against the cold. It was snowing, but it was only late September. I looked at the trees before it hit me that I was Underground. How did I get down here? I looked behind me to see a large pair of double doors, purple with a strange symbol on them.

I turned around again and began walking forward, hearing the snow crunch under my feet. I was still wearing the clothes I had worn when we went down to confront Red, and my jacket from G was missing. I watched my breath fog up in front of me as I continued, moving past an old puzzle I knew would be from Papyrus. There were many of these, including one that had a frozen plate of spaghetti, stuck to the table and a microwave sitting beside it.

I had come down here a little over a month ago, but it was like the place had been abandoned. There was no one around as I entered Snowdin, even to attend to the tree that was lit up like a regular Christmas tree. I kept rubbing my arms for warmth as the weather chilled even more.

I saw a flash of something from the corner of my eye. I turned to look, but there wasn't anything there. I scowled and looked back, heading through Snowdin once more. I saw there were white spots in a few places, almost like static. I shook it off as just not knowing what they looked like and continued through the weird dream.

I made the last trek through onto Waterfall, where the weather became more moderate. I made my way through and, just like Snowdin, noticed it was void of any life. Like in Waterfall, there were those static like patches again throughout, even when I went to the dumb and trudged my way through the cool water. This time, it was like I could hear it, like white noise on the television when you hit a certain channel.

I rubbed my ears and kept going, making my way through more echo flowers and pausing to admire the crystals in the ceiling of the cave once more before leaving Waterfall for the sweltering heat of Hotland.

I chuckled to myself when I thought of the names. Asgore may charismatic, but he really was terrible with naming things.

The wetness from my pants and socks dried in no time, making them stiff as I made my way through the hottest part of the Underground. I remembered the pattern from when Papyrus and Undyne used the steam launchers down here. I was sweating by the time I made it to the other side.

When I went inside the lab, almost the whole place was covered in the white patches of static. My earlier theory of just not knowing the certain parts was out the window as I made my way through quickly. I saw what looked like blue thread coming out of these patches and I stopped for a brief moment. I heard what sounded like a broken chuckle, and I whipped around. There was nothing behind me, and I nearly ran out of the lab.

I made it to the Judgment Hall. I was assaulted by the stories I was told by Frisk and Sans. Each step I took echoed back at me, like the entire Hall was made up of the echo flowers. I clutched both hands to my chest. Each step I took, I saw more of those patches, more white and heard more static. There was another chuckle, still broken as it turned into a full out laugh. I snapped my head up as panic seeped into my bones.

There was a shadow at the end of the hall, and I saw blue thread hanging around on the pillars. They were wrapped around almost every inch of the Hall now, and I was trapped inside a small space. The shadow was leaning against a pillar, the blue threads coming from him. I swallowed a lump as it straightened.

“S...Sans?”

“cl0-o$3,” a new voice said. “bbBu-uut not Qu1tee.”

The shadow stepped into the light and my eyes widened. There stood another Sans, only...his bones were black. Or...his skull was. His leg bones were red, and it was like I was seeing my Sans in negative. His hoodie was black, and he had on a red tee shirt. His basketball shorts were still black, but the stripe on each side was blue. The palms of his hands were black, then up to the first knuckle was red. The tips of his fingers were yellow, where the blue strings were attached. 

What got me most were his eyes. They were red instead of the usual black eye sockets, and while one eye still had a white eye light, the other looked...broken. It was blue, ringed in yellow, just surrounded by endless red. Error messages were flashing from him, appearing at random places on his body.

I went to back up, bouncing right off the strings behind me. Ink's story came to my mind at that moment.

“You're...you're Error, aren't you?” I queried, my voice shaking.

He scowled, his perma grin moving down and covering his black teeth. If I didn't know any better, I would say he was snarling. “l1Lemm3 gue55, Iii-Ink to0old yYa.”

“I...I...”

I was scared. That only confirmed it, even though it was obvious with the flashing messages. This was the destroyer of alternate universes, and the only person who could stop him wasn't even in my dream with me. I was on my own. Without help.

Well, fuck.

“What...what do you want?” I managed to get out after he just kept staring at me.

“i1'm just tryna $see wh44-t thhat m0r00-on se33s in ya4.”

His voice glitched out on his words. It was exactly the way that Ink had described him as. The air around us was chilled, almost as cold as Snowdin, while he watched me with his oddly colored eyes. I shifted under his gaze, my hands wringing together as he studied me.

“1ii s3e Notthin9 5speci4al abo0ut ya.” He shook his head and waved his hand, the strings quivering with his movement. “i'm he33re ff0or 4 dDiffer3ent reaso0n.”

I stared at him curiously, his words broken and static. It was like the white noise had dimmed down and I could only watch as he moved his fingers by his side. More strings cam around me, tethering to my wrists. I cried out as I was lifted into the air, the thin strings biting into my wrists as I hovered above the Hall's floor.

He drifted up himself, standing on the head of his own gaster blaster. It was black, just like his skull, with error messages popping up at some points over it. He stood there, his hands now in his pockets as he saw me struggling against him.

“What the fuck?” I shouted, fear leaving my system.

“cc4n't us3 ma4gic if-f y0ou'r3 h4-4nds ar3 ti1ed.” He chuckled.

It was kind of nice to see even he had a penchant for puns. But what the fuck did he mean use magic? Did he mean when I healed Ink? I still didn't even know how that happened, and I'm not even sure I could do it again. My anger was beginning to override that fear I'd had just a little bit ago and I glared at the negative Sans in front of me.

This motherfucker.

“I can't even use magic!” I hissed. “Who the fuck told you –”

“sS5hh-hutt 1t, glli1itch bi1tch,” he snarled suddenly.

There were sounds in the background now, like my name was being called. I clung to the familiar voices. Ink's voice broke through them all, sounding panicked. I could hear him calling for me to push away, break away from the dream. But it wasn't a dream.

This was a nightmare.

Error snarled again as the world faded around me. “1'll s3e y0u s00on, j3-3ewel.”

**

I woke up screaming, my arms and hands scrambling to find some kind of semblance of where I was. Hands gripped me tight as I tried to bolt upright almost screaming. My senses were disoriented and I clung to the first bone I could grab a hold of.

When I opened my eyes, four of the boys were around me, trying to keep me pinned down while I thrashed about. My chest rose in quick breaths before I nodded, letting them know I was okay. I sat up when they all let me go and I brought my hands up to my face.

It wasn't a dream like I usually had. There were still marks on my wrist in the shape where the strings had been against my skin. There was dried blood where they had pierced my skin. I started shaking and I looked up at them.

They all looked shaken, but Ink looked the most scared. He stared at my wrist, his eye lights white and mere pinpricks in his black sockets. He was staring at my wrists as his hands shook. He reached out to touch them before drawing them away again, as though he was afraid to touch me. The reflexive move stung, but I could understand. In a sense.

“error's here,” he whispered. His eyes shot to mine. “where is he?”

“I...I don't know,” I stammered out, my voice hoarse. “I was...I was dreaming that I was in the Underground and...I ended up in the Judgment Hall.”

All of them winced when I mentioned the Hall. Ink was the only one who seemed to not move, his bones stock still. I reached out to touch him, the sight of my bruising wrists making everyone, even me, wince. I touched one of his wrists, his eyes shooting to my face. I gave a calming smile, gripping his wrist in a firm grip.

“We'll be okay,” I whispered. “Let's find out why he's here, yeah?”

He only nodded, turning and leaving without a word. I stared after him, feeling my soul call to his in sadness. He still left, his scarf the last I saw of him. I looked to the others, who only shook their heads.

“What even happened?” I asked.

“after you fell asleep, and the rest of started cleaning, we laid you on the couch so Sans could help, too,” G said. “when stretch and i came back up, you were thrashing around on the couch, screaming bloody murder.”

I scowled. I wasn't screaming in my dream though. I wasn't do anything of the sort. I was scared, and angry, but I wasn't so scared I was screaming.

“ink got to you first, even from picking up the tv, which is now in more pieces,” Stretch mumbled unhappily. “you said his name, and ink froze. like he had been tased or something.”

I winced. “It's just...he knew I used magic. How did he know I used magic?” I started sounding panicky. “The only people that knew that were everyone here and my dad...”

It clicked.

“My dad.”

Everyone else seemed to have to the same conclusion. I threw my legs over the side of the couch and put my face in my hands, my elbows resting on my knees. I groaned and dragged my hands down my face as I leaned back against the couch, staring at the ceiling.

The boys weren't having any of this. They all piled around me, my last remaining three. They came over to me, snuggling against me and nuzzling. I grabbed two hands, not sure whose they were. I leaned my head down and bonked my forehead with Sans's. He was directly in front me, grinning up at me.

“we're here, princess. ya ain't gotta worry. we'll work through this, ya hear me?” he said quietly.

I nodded and huddled against them, closing my eyes as each of them stroked my hair and skin. Their quiet murmurs surrounding me, I drifted off in a, thankfully, dreamless sleep.

**

Stretch moved away from Jewel carefully with the others. G laid her back down on the couch and moved the blanket back over her, tucking it under her chin. Her hair was still a mess and she smelled like a mixture of her and Sans. While it made him twitch that he wasn't first, there was no way he was arguing with Sans on that fact.

He went over to smoker's corner and sat down, pulling out his cigarettes and lighter. As he lit one up, he watched as Sans sat beside her on the floor, his fingers running over her cheek. Stretch only shook his head and looked out the window beside his chair.

The area surrounding the house was beautiful. Wooded areas all over and the sun would peak over the mountains where the monsters had emerged from. He could see the birds flying past, the house set up on top of a hill. Well, more like an incline. The other side had the same view, only it had a lake instead of just a few spots of clearing.

It was a nice spot. He was glad he found this place before anyone else had. It was reclusive and not many people made their way back here. Those who did usually strayed far from the house. Hikers and people of the like have stopped by to get something small to drink because they ran out or they had to use the bathroom. Most seemed unbothered by the fact there were a bunch of skeleton monsters in the house. But there were a few who might have actually peed themselves and then ran off.

It was kinda comical.

He blew out another puff of smoke before turning back to Classic.

“anythin' new pop up?” he asked.

The shorted skeleton nodded, giving Jewel one final kiss on her forehead and coming over to join him. He didn't smoke, but he took a seat in the well worn cushion of the chair beside his own. He slumped back, yawning.

With the way he was acting, Stretch would have thought they didn't do anything just a couple hours ago.

“she's got magic, alright,” Sans finally said slowly. “in fact, she's got so much, it's just simmering beneath the surface, waiting for an excuse to come out.”

“so it's unstable?” Stretch asked.

“i wouldn't say unstable,” Sans mused. “but i wouldn't say stable, either. i'm not sure how her body hasn't overheated and just...expelled all the magic it has.”

Stretch stubbed out his cigarette as G came into the room. Sans stood to give him the chair to sit, but he waved it off and instead, sat by Jewel's feet. He looked worn out as he rubbed a hand down his face. If he had skin, he'd definitely have done it hard enough to pull it.

“we need to try and teach her how to,” G finally said. “if there's another...incident, i don't think her magic will just heal anyone. it could also cause harm. and her soul wouldn't be able to take knowing she put harm onto someone else.”

The other two nodded. As livid as Jewel could get, they didn't think she could handle the thought that she hurt someone else, no matter how much she didn't like them. Her soul wouldn't be able to handle it and could possible crack, or grow so dark it wouldn't come back from that.

“how's red?”

Sans's question brought Stretch back, looking back over at G. So that's where he'd disappeared to.

He chuckled darkly. “about as expected. still clawing the shit out of his cage. ink said he might be like that for a day or two. could be longer.” His eye lights flicked to Sans. “he also thinks it best if you and jewel avoid going down there for a bit until he settles.”

He nodded and they all looked at Jewel. She hadn't stirred except for her expressions. She hadn't started screaming again, so that was a good sign. Ink had panicked when she started screaming like that, even dropping that stupid paintbrush he carries everywhere. But when she muttered something about errors, he had frozen and his panic had reached the sky.

They continued talking quietly until Ink had come back from wherever he went off to. He looked worn out like the rest of them. When Stretch moved, making the chair quietly groan under the weight, he jumped, his hand going for his brush. When he looked around, his hand fell to his side, his shoulders drooping in defeat.

“so who's error?” Sans said, leaning forward. “didja bring someone else with ya when ya came here?”

Ink winced. “not that i knew of,” he mumbled. “last i saw error, he and i were fighting again.” His eyes flicked over to Stretch. “in your universe.”

Stretch's brow plates moved lower in a scowl. “in ours? But i didn't even see you there, or feel your magic.”

Ink shook his head. “i'm not supposed to be seen by you guys. error doesn't care; if you see him, you're usually gonna die.”

That sent the other three bristling, Stretch especially. The thought of someone killing his bro again settled into the back of his mind. He remembered watching Chara do it, grinning with glee while Frisk controlled their body. One slash, two slash, three slash, four...

She had sung that silent mantra as she swung the blade around, giggling while she cut down every monster in their wake. Facing her in the Judgment Hall, with one eye open to reveal her red eye crying, and Frisk's one closed one while she giggled was a nightmare he relived more often than he would like to admit.

_“One slash, two slash, three slash, four! How many more can I get in before you go?”_

“stretch?”

He jolted from his spot, his eye lights looking up to see the other ones watching him. They watched him carefully, Sans on the edge of his seat, his right eye light flickering in and out as he he did so. Stretch realized his own magic had manifested and he shook his head, closing his eyes and taking in a deep breath before blowing it out and nodding that he was okay.

“i want to know everything on this error,” G mused. “it might help us protect jewel.”

Ink nodded and they left, heading down to the basement. Stretch and Sans briefly heard Red still snarling and screaming. When they shut the door, it was like a switch and it was silent. They sat there for a moment before Stretch took out another cigarette and lit it, blowing out the smoke. When he looked down at his hands, they were shaking. He wasn't afraid, but he was definitely worried.

This Error guy could get into her dreams, and she wasn't a lucid dreamer. She couldn't control them, and now this dude knew that. He could come back at any time. And it was only a matter of time before he really showed up. Just what was her dad trying to accomplish?

“i get it, ya know.”

He side eyed Sans, who was leaning back against the chair again, his eyes on Jewel. “whaddaya mean?”

“i get it. you might not like to hear it, but when frisk was taken by chara, it was terrifying for me, too.”

He didn't like to hear it, but this was how it was. Their worlds were swapped, and that meant here Frisk was the heroine here. While he was the terror of his nightmares. Anytime she came over, he was on edge, almost waiting for him to wake up to his brother dead, again.

Shaking it off, he sighed. “let's get her up to her room. we have a few more things to go over.”


	23. Animal & Edibles

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I finally manage to get to Red and damn near strangle the others.  
> And it seems that Blueberry and Papyrus managed to create something a human can actually eat.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **I AM SO SORRY.**  
>  Things have been just...terrible. My ex that I just left tried coming back around and my Mamaw isn't doing so hot and...I'm so sorry guys.
> 
> I'm trying my best here. I'm so so so sorry.

The next day, I went down to see Red. Stretch said he had finally come to his senses sometimes though the night. They were still keeping him in the cage just in case he lost his cool again, which is something I could kind of understand. Thinking of Red the way he had been acting was terrifying. I never wanted to see my Red like that again.

After telling the boys for the umpteenth time I would be alright on my own, I made my way down the basement, using the flashlight on my phone as I made my way down to the basement. I closed the door behind me, promising them that if anything happened, I would give them a call.

I went down the stairs and the hallway before pausing in front of the lab. I didn't hear anything like I did last time, so I guess that was a good sign. I stepped into the room where my eyes instantly landed on him. He was hunched in on himself, hiding his face in his arms. He was curled up as tight as he could get himself. I could see the leash I'd seen before trailing its way up to his neck, right where his collar would be.

When I came further into the lab, trying to not hit anything, he only curled up more, the chain rattling a little. I paused outside his cage. The room filled with sniffles and I could feel my heart breaking bit by bit as I watched his shoulders shake. It wasn't me that was crying like I had originally thought. It was him.

I sat by the cage and turned my back to it so I could lean against him. I didn't hear any movement, just the soft sniffles. I closed my eyes as my soul begged me to go to him. But I couldn't when he was locked in there. It would be too much right now, and we didn't know if he was going to snap again.

“whaddaya doin' here?” he sniffled, trying to sound angry. “didja sneak away again?”

“No, they let me come down here,” I said softly. “You're still my soulmate, Red.”

“doesn't matter,” he whispered, so low I almost couldn't hear him. “they don't want me 'round ya anymore.”

Hearing that, I snapped my head to the side, watching as he kept his gaze averted. He had lifted his head so he wasn't muffled while talking, but his eye lights were still red. I didn't want to jump to conclusions but I took in a deep breath, feeling my anger peaking.

“What do you mean?”

He didn't answer me. I turned all the way around and pinned him down with a stare that would rival my father's. He didn't even look my way, keeping himself curled up in a tight little ball. I sighed, my face dropping and I turned back around, pressing my back against the glass.

“What happened, Red?”

He snarled and the hairs on the back of my neck stood on end. I was afraid to turn back around, so I didn't. I didn't want to see the sight that would greet me if I did. I waited a few more beats before he finally answered me.

“i lost it, what else d' ya need ta know?”

I noticed he talked a lot like how he did when he first appeared in this universe. It sounded like a Boston accent, almost. I thunked the back of my head against the glass and let out a deep sigh. I stared at the ceiling as the silence swirled around us.

He finally broke the silence. “why d' ya hate me, jewel?”

I turned all the way around, furrowing my brows. He was still huddled, the chain rattling against the tile floor as he shifted. He had moved his head so he was facing me, his eye lights dim in his sockets. There were remnants of his magic on his cheekbones, the tell tale sign that he had been crying a lot while he was down here.

I looked at him confused. “Why do you think I hate you, Red?”

He seemed to shiver when I said his name. “'cause ya went ta him first.” He turned and buried his face in his hoodie sleeves again. “i wanted ta be first.”

I frowned, placing my hand against the glass. There was a heat coming off of it, but I kept my hand there anyway, placing my forehead against the glass as well. His head whipped over to me, his eye lights small in his skull. His mouth was turned down into his own frown as he watched me. Neither of us moved.

“I don't hate you, though,” I whispered. I placed my other hand on the glass. “I understand you wanted to be first, Red, but...baby, if his machine hadn't malfunctioned, it would have just been he and I.”

Something snapped. I could almost physically feel something snap in the air around us. His eye lights disappeared from his eye sockets and his mouth twisted around his teeth. A snarl tore itself from his throat as he threw himself my way, knocking against the glass between us.

Shocked, I fell back, his claws digging into the glass between us. He had reverted back, his eye lights now red as he snarled and growled at me, his fingers digging claw marks into the barrier. I felt my heart leap to my throat as I moved again, crawling over to sit in front of his frame. He never stopped, trying to attack and hurt the thing that hurt him.

I placed my hand on the glass again and I heard a hissing noise. I looked around, confused before I spotted the glass had opened. There was a door leading inside the cage. But I wasn't the only one who saw it. Red's eyes snapped to the open door before he made a beeline for it. The chain rattled more as he moved, but tugged tight, stopping him before he could reach it. I stood from where I was went over to it.

I peeked my head inside and watched as he strained against the chain, pulling it taut. If he had to actually breathe and was made of flesh like I was, he'd be choking himself to death by now. But he barely looked tired, winded. His golden tooth flashed in the lighting of the lab as I came further into the cage.

This only seemed to enrage him further as he struggled against the chain. I had a thought for a moment that he was going to break it, or pull it out of the ground, but it held steady. I turned my focus back onto Red, who looked like a rabid dog in that moment. My fingers twitched and I took in a deep breath before I did something that could be considered the stupidest thing I have ever done in my life.

I ran to him as he raised his arms to swing down, wrapping my arms around him tightly. He flailed under me. In a moment's notice, though, his arms were branded around me, squeezing me to him. I could feel my spine bending, feeling like it was bound to break. But I held steadfast, burying my face in the fur lining of his hoodie's hood. I clung to him tightly, whimpering only a little when his grip became punishing.

I knew he didn't want to hear that. I knew it. But it needed to be said so he understood why I did what I had done. As much as I adored these stupid skeletons, it was only supposed to be Sans and I. Then his machine malfunctioned and here they were. So instead of the one I was going to have, I was now stuck with five of them.

He needed to hear that. And I hated having to be the one to do it. But he wouldn't hurt me. Not on purpose anyway.

He had finally stopped squeezing, and his snarls had finally quieted into quiet growls. I looked up. He was staring down at me, a mix of anger and hunger written on his features. I felt myself shaking under him, but I kept strong, burying my face back into the fur. He was panting, though he didn't have to breathe, his claws digging into my back through the thin material of my shirt.

My collar clinked against his, and I could feel his head move down. One of his arms moved from my back and I could feel the tip of his claw running over it. It sent a shiver up my spine as he grazed the side of my neck. I shut my eyes and tried reeling myself back into reality as he pulled away from me and watched me.

His eye lights were still red, but he seemed to be in more control than his animalistic state. His mouth was still somehow twisted into a snarl, and his hand at my back clenched and released. I reached up with both of my hands and cupped his cheekbones, smiling up at him.

“I don't hate you,” I whispered lovingly. Tears formed at the corner of his sockets, blood red against white. “I will never hate you. You're too kind, too gentle with me. You have to understand, Red, that...this is his universe. If it had been yours, you would have been first. But it's not. This is his, and I felt it was right that way. Do you see me as property, Red?”

His eyes widened and he frantically shook his head side to side, almost dislodging my hands. I kept a firm grip on him though, in case he tried to pull away.

“Then don't treat me as such,” I told him. “Simple. Acting like this...”

He seemed to get the bigger picture. He slouched, his forehead on my shoulder as I wrapped my arms around him once more and pulled him to me as he sunk to his knees. His body shook underneath me as he wrapped his arms around me loosely, burying his face in the crook of my shoulder. I stroked the back of his skull as he cried quietly into my shoulder. Soon, there were words that were forming.

“'m so sorry, sweetheart,” he mumbled. “'m so, so sorry. can ya fergive me?”

I only nodded as he clung tighter, whispering out a “thank stars” and continued. I rocked him back and forth as the sounds of footfalls came from the door. I looked over his head at Stretch and G, who both had their magic ready to go. When they saw the scene before them, their magic faded in an instant, leaning against the doorway as Sans and Ink followed close behind.

Then there was a deep chuckle and I heard G say, “pay it up, classic.”

I snapped my head to them as they passed money over to G, who wore a giant smirk on his face.

“What the fuck, guys.”

**

I finally managed to get Red up the stairs and into his room. After I placed him on his bed, I covered him up and turned to go. He was snoring by the time I shut the door. I went downstairs and marched over to the boys. Three of them were looking awfully upset and G was busy counting out his bet money, cigarette dangling from his lips.

“Again, what the fuck, guys?” I snapped, sitting on the unoccupied couch. When Ink made a move to come to me, I held my hand out, glaring at them. “Well?”

Sans seemed to shrink under my stare and Stretch looked away. Ink just sat there with his legs curled underneath him, his hands between them. He had a silly smile on his face which only managed to irk me further. I grit my teeth together as even G seemed to fidget uncomfortably.

“Is anyone going to say anything?” I finally exploded. “Or let me guess? Can I guess? I'm going to fucking guess. I'm going to guess you guys made a bet that he would have lost his shit and that I either would have come running back up or that I could actually calm him enough. Which, by the way, is bullshit. Why the fuck are you betting on shit like that?”

Each of them winced as my voice rose in volume, the final line coming out a shout. I was visibly mad, shaking in my spot as I glowered at them. It irritated me that they did this. Red was technically the same person they all were. It pissed me off to no end they would bet on something like that, and risk putting me in danger.

I directed my glare at Sans. “And you.” Through our soul bond, I could feel his fear and hurt, and his regret. “You might be the original, but he is still _you_. He is all of you. Just...fuck!”

I breathed out through my nostrils, pinching the bridge of my nose. I had to walk away or I'd end up saying or doing something I was going to regret. I knew that much. I turned and headed for the stairs.

“I'm going to try and finish reading that book. I have a review due on it. Don't fucking bother me.”

With that, I stormed up the stairs and headed right for my room, slamming the door shut. I went to my pillow and plopped down on it. I stuffed my face in a pillow, and screamed. I screamed out all of my frustrations. I lifted my head when I was done and threw it back in its place, muttering to myself about how stupid they were.

I adored them, I was falling in love with them. And I think that's why it made me angrier. Because I knew that while Sans was supposed to be the only one, the others got dragged here, too. And Ink's stupid smile on his face made me so mad I was about to grab my pillow and scream again.

I grabbed the book from my nightstand and opened it, removing the bookmark and placing my reading glasses on my face before rolling onto my stomach and sighing, finding my place once more. I just needed to cool off, and I would do that with reading.

After a few hours of quiet reading, I finally finished the book. I placed it on the bed beside me, taking my glasses off and rubbing my eyes. Jesus Christ, that's everything that happened? I looked at the name of the author and scowled, trying to figure out who could have written something like that. W.D. Gaster, huh? I wonder who that was.

I shrugged it off and sat up as there was a knock on the door. I glared at the door. “Who is it?”

“IT IS I, THE MAGINIFICENT BLUEBERRY. MAY I ENTER, HUMAN?”

I turned down the degree of my glare and let a small smile grace my face as I told him to enter. He came in, his eyes downcast and wringing his hands together. He looked a little nervous to be near me, which made me wonder if he had heard my outburst earlier. Or maybe Stretch was sulking and told Blueberry about the incident. Made sense, I think.

“What did you need, Blue?” I asked gently. Didn't want to startle him.

“I WANTED TO LET YOU KNOW THAT DINNER WILL BE READY SHORTLY...IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO JOIN THE OTHERS.” He added the last part hesitantly, his eyes meeting mine for the first time since he entered my room.

I sighed. I was still quite angry with them, but not as much as I had been. I stood from my bed and went to the door, pausing beside him. I leaned over him, holding out my arm. He watched me with mounting confusion.

“Wanna accompany me downstairs, Blue?” I asked softly.

His eye lights changed back to their usual baby blue stars and he was damn near vibrating with joy. He hooked his arm through mine and led me out of my room. I laughed, following his happy, fast paced steps. I noticed he and I weren't so far apart in height, with him being the shorter of all of them. Ink came after him in height. Then Sans, Red, G, Stretch and Papyrus. It was amazing the type of ladder I could build with them.

We went downstairs and he flourished himself into the dining room, where everyone was waiting. He spun me around while I laughed, and held out his arms as I went to my seat.

“I BRING THE HUMAN JEWEL TO OUR NIGHTLY MEAL!” he announced happily before going to his own seat.

Red was even there, trying to look as small as possible. His hood was up and his head was tucked in his arms. His shoulders were moving like he was either sleeping or laughing. I couldn't tell with the hood in the way. I smoothed my hand over his hood, sitting down in my usual spot between Ink and him. I didn't bother looking at the others though except for a quick glance around the table.

None of them would meet my gaze, opting to look at their plates instead. Stretch seemed so distraught about this that he actually ate a bite of the food Papyrus placed in front of him. After a moment of chewing, though, he looked shocked and pleased. He took out his phone and began tapping away at it like it was the last thing he was able to do. When he was done and put his phone down, the only phones that didn't go off were Blueberry's and Papyrus's. I felt mine vibrate in my pocket and pulled it out, turning on the screen.

**From: Honey Pot To: Babes <3 7:28 PM**  
**srsly gotta try this. i think they actually pulled something edible together.**

I scowled in confusion before I set my phone down. I looked at the others, who actually met my look with confusion on their own faces. Red moved and lifted his head up, looking like he was about to pass out on the table at any moment. I grabbed his hand with one of mine and used my free one to pick up my fork. I took a good look at the food in front of me. It looked like chicken Alfredo, something I used to enjoy growing up. There were pieces of broccoli in it, as well. 

I twirled some noodles around on the fork and stuck the prongs into a piece of chicken. I already was ready to have a heart attack; the chicken wasn't burnt enough I had to shove the prongs through. I grabbed some broccoli as well and counted to three before I stuffed it into my mouth.

I thought I had literally died and gone to heaven. The chicken was still moist and the noodles didn't stick together in huge clumps. The broccoli had been steamed perfectly and the sauce must have been homemade; it melted as soon as it hit my tongue. I damn near moaned from how good this was.

“This is great, guys!” I crowed. “How long did this take you?”

“PROBABLY THE ENTIRE AFTERNOON AFTER LUNCH,” Papyrus admitted sheepishly. “BUT I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS, AND THE MAGNIFICENT BLUEBERRY COMBINED OUR EFFORTS TO CREATE THIS DISH.”

Sans looked like he was about to pass out from some form of a skeleton heart attack. Stretch was staring at his brother with the same look. The others just shook their heads and dug in, never once giving up. I did the same, eating the food in front of me like I had been starving for days. I kept my hand wrapped in Red's even as he devoured his own food.

There were seconds and thirds for almost everyone but myself. I got halfway through my seconds before I finally slowed down, nibbling on a piece of Texas toast. Red was well into his third and I leaned against him as he ate. He wiped his mouth with a napkin and pressed his sharp teeth to my skull. I closed my eyes and sighed, taking in his smell of smoky earth. It was like coming home after a long day at work. Or from a long trip.

Everyone continued talking as I kept to Red's side, rubbing his skull and his arms. Papyrus and Blueberry cleaned up, talking quietly to each other about tomorrow's menu. I got up from my seat and went to walk away into the living room when I felt a bony hand snag my arm.

I looked over and watched as Red avoided my gaze, his face flushing his magic. I gripped his hand in mine and tugged him out of his seat. He followed me, keeping his head down. I sat on the couch and pulled him next to me. He instantly laid in my lap, burrowing his face into my stomach and purring quietly. I continued stroking his skull with the tips of my fingers.

Gradually, the others came over as well, taking their places around us. Stretch and G on the floor, on either side of my legs. Ink lounged behind me on the back of the couch, lying on his stomach while doodling a picture. Sans took his spot on my other side, leaning his head on my shoulder. In fact, I noticed they each had some small part of themselves on me. A hand, or an elbow. Or something. Whatever it was, they were touching me.

Their smells all wafted around me as Stretch turned the TV on to some stupid movie. Being near October, the good movies were playing. It would have made sense that all the combined scents would be gross or nauseating. But they weren't. Smelling Red's smell alone was peaceful. But I had been wrong.

This was like coming home.


	24. Magic At Its Finest*

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I'm finally learning that magic thing G convinced me to do.  
> And...well...I bone another small skeleton.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **WARNING: SMUT SMUT SMUT**  
>  It's more toward the end of the chapter, so you'll see when it starts and you can stop there. Like I said, it's not necessary to read the dirty gross smut.
> 
> Unless you're into that kinda thing.  
> That's hardcore, I can respect that.

“Oh, for fuck's sake, I quit!”

The days had gone by. Red was becoming himself again. And the others had gone and personally apologized for the bet. I still wanted to wring their necks, but I let it slide for now. G was bound to teach me how to use my magic without just my emotions. He took me out to the field he had shown me that one night.

I was growing increasingly irritated with the way things were going. He kept telling me some stupid zen shit. Clear your mind. Focus on your soul. Feel it through your veins. Blah, blah, blah. I was ready to tear my hair out of my skull as I fell back into the grass.

The weather had dropped a lot since my birthday. October hung in the air, the smell of fall on the brink of the wind. Leaves were turning colors and crunched under your shoes. I covered my face with my hands and let out an angered groan.

“ya can't give up that easily, angel,” I heard G call from the far side of the clearing.

I huffed, barking out a short laugh. “I can, too. And you know what else I can do? I can officially say that I'm positive the magic was a one time deal.”

I heard him sigh, before he was sitting beside me. I could feel the heat radiating off of him, and the smell of leather and the smell of rain forest drifting around me like a cloud. I didn't move my arm, the other one lying across my stomach. He didn't say anything for a long moment. I didn't mind. Listening to the leaves in the wind was okay with me.

“look, angel,” he said, “ya gotta do this. i don't think the magic was a one time thing and i'm definitely positive that it could happen again. it's like i told you outside that one day. you could really hurt someone, hell...you could even kill them if you don't control this.”

“But I can't do it!” I cried out.

“do you think the others and i could at first too?”

I peeked at him from underneath my arm. He wasn't even looking down at me. He was looking at the cloudy sky. The fur on his leather coat was whipping around with the wind and he had one knee pulled up. The other leg was tucked under that at an angle and his elbow was resting on his knee. I brought my arm down a little further.

“I figured all of you guys knew how to when you were born,” I stated bluntly. “I mean. You're monsters. You're literally made of the stuff.”

“we still had to learn how to control it, too,” he chuckled. “we aren't just born knowing our own magical abilities.”

“How did you guys learn?” I queried.

“the same way i'm trying to show you,” he said bluntly. “you have to be patient and give it time. it won't just happen because it has to. you have to want it to, ya know.”

I looked down and stared at the surrounding area. I knew he was right; I was just being impatient and bratty about it. Did I really think I had more magic than what I had shown? Maybe. But that didn't mean I'd want to use it any time soon. I didn't want to use my magic for violence.

“Alright, fine.”

I sat up as he turned to face me, his eye lights roaming my face a moment before he wrapped an arm around my shoulders and brought me against him. We sat like that for a while before he pulled away and we stood. He went back to his spot across the clearing, arms folded over his sternum as he regarded me with that serious expression. I kept my back straight as he looked me over.

“remember,” he called out, “try not to think of anything. just let it flow, okay?”

“Why can't I think of anything?” I muttered.

I forgot his hearing was better than mine. He called back out to me, “because using emotional magic is deadly, angel.”

Fair enough.

I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. Every worry, fear and thought I had I batted away. It was like batting away flies from garbage at the dump. The last time I had used magic, I had been overly emotional and desperate. This time, I kept my mind focused on whatever kind of magic I could really use.

After what felt like years, there was a pulse in the air. It didn't hit me; instead it felt like it had come from me. Like the wave of magic Red had used when he lost his cool. I grabbed onto that feeling, that pulse and clung to it. I could feel sweat forming on my brow as I continued struggling with it.

Another few minutes passed before there was another pulse, a little stronger than the first. The sweat was rolling down between my shoulder blades now, and I could feel a slight tremor roll over my body. I felt a small inclination of excitement, but tamped down on it to keep my focus.

There was a new pulse, and they came quicker than the ones before them. The air around me had seemed to still in anticipation for what I was doing. Even G was silent. And, as he'd shown before, he had no problems telling me when I was doing something wrong. I could feel his emotions through the bond, and though he was proud, he was also awed.

I wonder what I looked like to him right now.

Each pulse not only came quicker, but became stronger. But it wasn't so strong that it would knock me over. More like I could just feel it vibrating in my bones. I could feel a heat in one hand and a coolness in the other. I was confused, so I opened my eyes. I looked down at my hands and stared with wide eyes.

My left hand was surrounded in fire. It didn't burn or anything, but it stayed steady, the wind seeming to not touch it as it whipped around me. I looked to my right and saw something akin to frost emanating from it, little snowflakes falling from my palm. I stared at them both in wonder before looking up at G.

He seemed just as astounded, coming up to me in long strides. My magic never diminished, instead only seeming to become stronger as he came closer. When he reached me, we both looked at my hands as the magic continued itself, licking itself around my fingers. I brought my hands closer to my face.

I could feel each temperature difference on each side of my face. The fire was definitely hot enough, but I didn't feel anything burn. The ice was enough to cause frostbite, turning my cheek red. But again, it wasn't causing me any damage.

“i thought you had healing magic,” G whispered, fully confounded.

“I thought so, too,” I said quietly, keeping the tone. I was afraid I was going to lose this. “So why do I have this?”

“maybe it has something to do with the sage blood running through your veins,” he murmured, taking a few steps back.

I tilted my head in befuddlement before he closed his eyes. When he opened them, his right eye light was yellow, his hand encased in his magic. My eyes widened and I took a step back. Still, my magic never faded.

“let's see how you can handle it,” he said lowly.

In seconds, he had summoned bones surrounded by his magic. He shot out his arm and they flew at me. I let out a shriek and held up my hands to defend myself. Ice shot from my palm, splintering into different shaped icicles. They collided with the bones head on. Pieces of bone flew over the clearing between the two of us.

G didn't let it slide, summoning more bones. As they flew for me, I was a little more confident in what I could do. I raised my other hand this time, watching as a flume of fire came from that palm. The fire incinerated the bones, the ashes falling into the grass. He still didn't give up, even as he summoned what he had referred to as a Gaster Blaster.

It was the big dragon-dog like hybrid, it eyes yellow as G's. There was a low hum, much like I had heard when they first came here just a couple months ago. I steadied myself as its maw opened, a yellow ball of light forming. My eyes widened as I remembered what these things could do and as it shot out the light, I jumped back. I raised both of my hands and blasted at it with a mix of the two magics. They swirled together as they landed right in the center of the Blaster's forehead, sending pieces of bone everywhere.

He let out a deep chuckle. It sent a shiver up my spine as my gaze met his. His sockets were lidded and magic leaked from the side of his eye in yellow mist. A yellow tongue poked out between his teeth and he licked them slowly, his eyes narrowing. I swallowed, keeping my focus on my magic.

“you're so hot when you're doing this,” he muttered. He appeared before me instantly, like he had blipped in and out of existence. I gasped, my magic disappearing. “you look so focused...”

He reached down and lifted me into his arms. I wrapped my arms around his shoulders and let my legs hang off the crests of his hipbones. I pressed against him, the fur from both of the coats giving us a little wall. He gazed down at me with a cheeky grin, one arm around my back and the other hand cupping my ass.

“G...what are you doing?” I managed to gasp out finally.

“taking a break,” he said softly. He leaned down and nipped the side of my neck above where Red's collar was. “is there a problem?”

I wouldn't say there was. It seemed after Sans and I had went to, and I repeat how he phrased it, the “bone zone”, he'd seemed...more demanding. We'd done it a couple more times, just without the soul play. Red was handling it better. Ink was being grumpy about it, but he was used to being alone and not having to really share. G and Stretch however...

They'd been eyeing me more. Stretch had been a little more innocent than G. Small touches, winks and the like. G, however, liked to try and show his dominance. When it was his turn to sleep in my bed with me, he'd pick me up and carry me there. He'd nibble and bite until I couldn't take anymore and had to turn over in order to go to sleep a freaking hot mess. I'd wake up to the same thing when he was the one to wake up with me.

It was driving me ballistic.

I groaned as his tongue ran over the side of my neck and he bit down. The canines I didn't realize were there pressed against my jugular and I jolted against him as a rush of pain-pleasure raced through my veins. My back arched against him as I ground myself into him. He hummed in the back of his nonexistent throat.

He lifted his head and kissed me, his teeth slamming into my lips. My head backed for a moment before his hand tangled itself in my hair and kept me in place. My hand grabbed onto the top of his spine. He released a moan that stirred something within me I didn't think was possible. I was panting against him as he dropped to his knees and laid me down again, letting go of me as my back hit the grass.

I looked up at him, panting, half lidded eyes searching his face. His face was covered in his magical yellow blush, his eyes on me. His fingers were burying themselves in the dirt on either side of my head and I could hear the faint sound of him rattling. I reached my hand up to him and stroked his cheek.

He leaned down and kissed me again. My legs wrapped around him from a newfound habit. He chuckled into the kiss, his breath hitting me in the face. Everything in this moment felt right, even if we were on the chilly grass in the middle of an open field. I arched against him, but he pulled away and broke the kiss.

“not here,” he whispered to me, his hand rising to stroke my cheek. “and not yet. you're still getting used to classic.”

I chuckled sadly and nodded. I guess he had a point. Plus, soul-bonding to these guys was serious business. It was too intimate to do out in the open where people could potentially hear me screaming out for my skeleboy. Wouldn't that just be awkward?

“let's get back to the house,” G said, getting up and checking his phone. “paps and blue said they wanted to do something special and decorate the house for halloween.”

I grinned. Halloween had always been my favorite holiday. Though I had never really gone trick or treating after I lost all my friends, I still dressed up for the day just so I could piss off my parents. It was something I loved to do. It reminded me a lot of the anime that Alphys talked about with Undyne. I think the lizard monster had referred to it as a cosplay or something.

He helped me up from the grass and wiped me off, giving my ass a playful smack before bringing me close. I held onto his jacket and buried my face into it as the world around us seemed to just fade away. I made the mistake once of looking when they were teleporting. Blackness had consumed my vision. And it was definitely disconcerting.

When we appeared in front of the house, the others were gathered around. Stretch and Red were sitting off to the side, their cigarettes hanging from their teeth as Sans and Ink sat around the little table they had brought outside. They were looking through some sort of catalog and pointing at things. Red caught me first, his eye light seeking me out like a heat seeking missile. He moved from his position from leaning on the wall and came over to me as G passed by.

“hey, sweetheart,” he muttered, his voice gravelly. He leaned down, pressing his fangs against my forehead in a kiss. “ya have fun?”

“Kinda,” I admitted. “Little frustrating at first. I didn't realize you guys had to practice, too.”

I heard a chuckle and looked over at Stretch, who was stretching out in the chair. “yer damn right we did. it was driving us insane, too.”

“i think the only one who didn't was ink,” Sans piped in, glancing over at me with a smile. “seeing as where he's from and all.”

Ink nodded absently, turning his white eye lights to me. “true. i didn't have to practice. i naturally knew how to do things. i knew what needed done. the whole nine.” He cracked a grin, his eye lights changing to a green triangle and an orange circle. “watching these guys trying to practice their magic was priceless.”

The other four turned to glare at him as I laughed, rubbing my eyes. As my laughter subsided, a wave of exhaustion swept over me. I wobbled on my feet. Red caught me before my knees gave out, throwing his cigarette somewhere in the yard before scooping me up in his arms and nuzzling my cheek. Without a word from anyone else, we strolled into the house and up the stairs. He took two at a time, causing a small whine of complaint to emerge from my throat.

We carried on, with him trying his best not to jostle me too much. I leaned against his chest, avoiding the zipper on his hoodie. The low hum of magic was low against my ear, his breathing steady against my cheek. My eyes began drifting shut when he made his way into my bedroom, using his foot to nudge open the door. When he entered, he mule kicked it shut, effectively slamming the door and jarring me awake at the same time.

“What the fuck,” I mumbled sleepily.

He chuckled, his finger stroking down my cheek. “sorry, sweetheart.”

We went to the bed and he laid me down as gently as he could. He moved away, and a whine tore from my throat. I didn't understand why I was being like this, or why I was so tired. He came back a moment later, his hoodie missing. He tucked me under the covers before he laid atop them, moving the hair from my face.

“Do you miss it?” I asked quietly.

He paused for a moment, his eye lights meeting mine. “miss what?”

“Home.”

He continued his stroking after a second, his finger gently grazing my lips. There was no emotion on his face, but I could tell he was troubled by the question. I got closer to him, nuzzling into his turtleneck.

“sometimes,” he finally replied. “sometimes i do. other times, i'm happy i'm not there anymore. it was a kill or be killed world, and i...i didn't want to kill anyone i didn't have ta, ya know? i mostly just miss papyrus. my papyrus. while classic's pap is cool an' all, i miss my hard ass bro.”

In my sleepy state, I mulled it over in the back of my mind. I could understand that. In a way, I felt bad for him because while Sans had his brother, and Stretch had Blueberry, Red's brother didn't end up showing. He was the only one who didn't have his sibling here with him. And it struck me as odd why his brother would be the only one who didn't show up. Unless he did and we just don't know it. I would have to look into that another day.

Neither of us said anything for a while, both of us just content to just lay there with each other. After his...episode, the others had been a little harder on him, keeping a keen eye on him when he was close to me. Even during dinner, they had tried to take his seat beside me. I had put a stop to that right quick.

Any time alone with Red was always something I had liked. While I liked Sans and Stretch, there was something about G and Red that always made me feel on the edge.   
Maybe it was just their images. Looking all bad ass and shit. But who was I to know? I had always like the ones who had seemed more hard ass than they actually were.

Red's hand was grazing over my hipbones. I drew in a sharp breath, my heart rate picking up. I had found out through Sans that my hips were one of the more sensitive places on my body. Said hips bucked slightly against his hand and his eyes shot to mine. I held my breath, drawing my arms in front of my chest as his eye lights flicked between my eyes. To my surprise, they remained white. Usually, when he was in a mood, or in “the” mood, they would turn a deep red. Like the color of his magic.

I opened my mouth to say something when he shook his head. It was a slow movement, so slight that I wouldn't have caught it had I not been looking right at him. He gave me a smile, the most genuine I had seen from him in weeks. His fangs glinted and that gold tooth caught my attention again. I reached out to touch it with my finger.

His hand gripped my hip in a tight grip and I gasped loudly. My eyes shot wide open as his grin seemed to go feral. It always reminded me of that first time we met, the first words he said to me. His brow bones lowered, and his eye sockets narrowed. But his eye lights remained white. It made me wonder if he was really just teasing or if there was something else going on in his mind.

“Red, I need...”

“tell me what to fucking do?” he interrupted, his voice lowered. I swallowed as he raised himself up. He swung his leg over my hips, pushing me onto my back and straddling me. He placed his hands on either side of my head. “'m in charge here, kid.” He leaned closer. “just remember this, dollface...” I swallowed at the pet name as his hand moved, slowly sliding up my side. “th' more noise you make,” he whispered in my ear, grasping my throat. I let out a moan. “th' rougher 'm gonna be.” He let out a dark chuckle.

While my head was screaming this was dangerous territory, anticipation pooled in my abdomen. There was the unbearable ache building in me that I knew only he could soothe at this moment and I couldn't contain the small whine of need in the back of my throat. His grip tightened on my throat and his eye lights were fading into that blood red.

I went to reach for him and he tutted. His movements smooth and quick, he had my hands pinned above my head in mere seconds as his head descended, claiming my mouth in a kiss. I opened for him instantly, letting him in. His tongue probed around, the clicking of his tongue ring against my teeth a new sensation. It was amazing. I gripped my hands into tight fists as his hand moved from my throat and down.

There was a tug. Then another rougher tug and the sound of tearing clothes. I didn't care; it was an old shirt I'd had for years. And like with Sans, my bra had been torn with it, falling to the sides. At this rate, I was probably going to need more clothes. Mainly shirts and bras. At the moment, I didn't even give a shit. My whole focus was on Red.

He moved away from me, leaning over me as his red eye lights took me in. There were no words from him. There was a line of red drool dangling from the side of his mouth. His eyes were focused on my breasts, now on full display for him. His hand passed over one of the reverently, as thought almost not able to believe this was happening. He phalanges gripped my nipple in a tight grip and there was a pull. My back arched with it. I let out a shrill cry, my mouth opened wide.

His grin was feral as he watched my face. His tongue lolled out of his mouth, the golden stud of his tongue ring glinting with his tooth. He leaned down and I watched as the tip of his tongue swirled around my nipple in a loving lick, making me moan. The ache was killing me, and I could barely register that my hips were moving on their own as he continued his ministrations.

At least until he bit down.

I screamed out, trying to cover my mouth with my hand to stifle the noise. But he held his grip firm on my wrists. The collar around my neck clicked together on something as his eye lights looked up my way. I could feel the coolness of his ring. I could definitely get used to the feeling.

He wasn't as slow with me as Sans had been, taking his sweet time. No, he moved farther down and tugged on the waistband of my shorts. I could hear the faint sound of a rip and I groaned in anger. No more torn clothes. I lifted my hips for him and he moved my shorts and panties off of me with the quickness. His hoodie was shed in the next instant, and his collar caught my attention.

I wriggled my hands free and snagged his collar in my hand. In his state of shock, I brought him down to me. His kiss sent a heat through my body and I bucked up into him. He groaned, the sound coming from the back of his throat. I could feel him moving for a second before he finally managed to throw something across the room with his hoodie. When he finally managed to get away from me, something red and glowing caught my eye.

I looked down and nearly fainted. He was built like Sans...but bigger. Thicker and a little longer. Something glinted in the light and I narrowed my eyes, trying to focus on what was there. Don't tell me...

“Red,” I croaked. “Is your dick pierced, too?”  
His chuckle sent those pleasurable shivers up my spine. “ya got it, sweetheart.” He moved so he was looming over me again like a sex starved lunatic. “and 'm gonna make ya feel every inch, dollface,” he whipsered in my ear. “every pull.” He licked my jaw. “every noise you make will only make it better. so ya better make it loud.”

At this point, I'm pretty sure my juices had soaked the bed. I stared up at him slack jawed. He gave me his signature smirk and licked my bottom lip, his ring somehow cool against my skin.

“but there's one thing we're gonna do first.”

I didn't have time to question him as to what he meant before he gabbed a hold of me and swung us around. I squealed as he landed on his back on my bed with me on top. The heat from his cock radiated through my core and I bucked into him, whining. He chuckled and moved me, turning me around so I was facing away from him.

My eyes were met with the red glowing dick before me. Up close, I could see he had three piercings on it, six golden studs in total. There was something leaking from the tip of it and it seemed to pulsate with magic when I got closer to it. I licked my lips.

“go ahead, sweetheart,” he whispered, his breath fanning my pussy. I early jumped from the surprise. “touch it.”

So I did. I reached out one of my hands, propping myself up on the other and ran my fingertips over it. It twitched and I did it again, seemingly fascinated with it for no reason. I took it in my hand and heard him groan. One of his phalanges moved down my lips and I gasped. While my mouth was open, he thrust his hips up, firmly planting his cock in my mouth.

It had an odd texture to it, with a slight hint of something salty. I wasn't entirely sure what to do; Sans didn't ever have me do it, despite me protesting that I should do it for him. He always shrugs it off as something he wasn't interested in.

The rings on it rubbed against the insides of my cheeks and the only thing I could think of in that moment was what they would feel like inside of me. The thought made me clench right as Red slid a finger inside of me. I moaned around his cock. I thought about all the filthy novels I'd read for the book reviews and did what I could remember.

I hollowed my cheeks and began bobbing up and down. The studs rubbed against my cheeks and I ran my tongue over them. He moaned and withdrew his finger, replacing it with his tongue instead. I would have jolted forward had he not anticipated the move; he had wrapped his arm up under my hips to lock me in place.

I could feel his ring flicking against my clit, and I could feel my thighs trembling. I gasped around him, his cock hitting the back of my throat.

He moved away, growling out. “enough.”

Before I could figure out what was happening, he ripped me off of him and threw me down on the bed. His hand raised, he gave the same “come hither” motion that Sans had. With that small tug, there was the glowing of my soul in the room again. It lit up in the darkness. I could see his face a little clearer in the room. It was awestruck as he watched it dancing toward him, pulsating. Like there were little waves coming from it.

He finally brought his own hand to his chest and brought out his own soul. It was the same as Sans's was, only there was a small crack in the corner of it. Before I could ask, he leaned over me and used the tip of his tongue, running it over my bottom lip.

“we're gonna do this th' right way, pet,” he whispered harshly in my ear. “yer gonna be mine.”

The words sent a rush of something through me. He turned me over onto my stomach and lifted my hips up off the bed, keeping my front down. Sans and I hadn't done this way before, so it was something new. He spread my legs apart and got himself in between them. After a second of lining himself up, he entered me in one single thrust.

It wasn't gentle, either. He put his full force behind it. I had to put my hand against the wall so I didn't bust my head on it. A scream tore itself from my throat as he moaned, leaning down over me and planting kisses in the area between my shoulder blades. His fangs scraped the skin there, hard enough to feel that hint of pain-pleasure, but not enough to break skin. I heard a rustle and my collar tightened. Without warning, he yanked on it, lifting my head back up.

He brought his mouth closer to my ear, chuckling and licking it. “yer gonna be heard, pet. ya feel me?”

The second the word “feel” came from his mouth, he pulled out and slammed back in. I could only scream and nod as he continued this pattern. From this position, I couldn't see our souls above us, but I could feel their resonance. I could feel just how close they were to merging, the familiar feeling from when Sans and I were together the first time taking over.

I made a whine in the back of my throat as he continued rutting me into the bed. I could feel my tits jiggling below me, almost knocking into my chin with every forceful thrust. There were a few odd keening noises and there were some grunts from him. The coil in my lower abdomen was winding up tighter. I used my free hand to claw the sheets below me as sweat beaded on my brow. It was only made worse by the studs on his dick.

He licked up my spine before whispering, “cum for me, pet. lemme feel ya.”

I could only obey. The coil finally released, my back arching and my scream echoing in the room around us. I could feel myself tighten around him. With that scream, there was a blinding light, much like the first time as a piece of me went to him. I arced myself off the bed as he buried himself inside of me with one final thrust. Red and white filled the room with a mixture of other colors, illuminating the room.

When he had finally had enough, he collapsed on top of me, letting go of the collar. We laid like that for I don't know how long. I saw my soul coming back down to me, dancing slowly in front of me like it was in the same state of euphoria I was in. I saw Red's skeletal arm reach around and gently nudge it back inside of me.

“ya okay, sweetheart?” he asked huskily.

“I think so,” I croaked. “I think I'll be good. But you need to get off of me.”

He chuckled and moved, his cock sliding out of me easily. I already felt empty as he stood and left the room to the bathroom for a minute. I couldn't move, and when he came back I was in the same spot. I groaned as something warm pressed against my pussy.

“i got'chu, sweetheart,” he crooned, rubbing a hand down my back. “go ahead and sleep. i'm here.”

As much as I wanted to stay awake and see him more than I had that day, the sound of his voice lulled me into a deep slumber. By the time he was cleaning up the room, I was out like a light.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And then there were two down. Three to go.  
> I feel like this was rushed. I might have to do another chapter with Red like this with more to it. I feel like I should. I've just not been myself lately, loves. I'm really sorry.


	25. Problems Arise

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I meet Error again, and it gets a little more intense.
> 
> Red...finds out something he probably didn't want to.

I already knew where this dream was going the moment I opened my eyes. Or at least...I thought I did. I didn't expect to wake up in a spot I didn't even know. I looked around me, surrounded by rock walls and sitting in a bed of familiar golden flowers. I looked up to see a source of light at least a hundred feet up. Did I fall down here? How had I not broken any bones?

I slowly stood and brushed myself off. I looked around on the ground for anything that might be useful. The only thing I could see was a thin stick. I grabbed it anyway, holding it close to me as I made my way to the only place it seemed I could go. There was a door at the end of a corridor. After a brief pause, I went through it.

There was a single light beaming down a small patch of grass. There was nothing there save for a small gold locket. Much like the one Frisk often wore. Much like the one Flowey would stare at when he thought no one could notice. I played with a fray on my jeans and bent down to pick it up.

There was a sudden chill to the air, and a familiar, broken cackle sounded around me as white patches of static popped up around the locket. I retracted my hand as quickly as I had put it out. While fear did crawl through me, I could also only narrow my eyes in aggravation. Error again, trying to scare the shit out of me.

Not this time.

I reached down and quickly snagged the necklace right as a white patch appeared over where it had been. I took it and ran, panting as I made my way through what could only be described as a series of puzzles. I remember Frisk having told me about all of them, and they already seemed to have been done.

There were no monsters in the Ruins, not even up by Toriel's house. When I approached that tree, I noticed there were those thin blue strings everywhere.

“whaat'$ wr0-0ng, kidd0?” I heard Error chuckling somewhere around me. “ca4an'tt f!gure o0ut whe-ere to g0?”

I grit my teeth and lifted the stick. I closed my eyes and hoped for the best as I swung down. When I opened my eyes once more, I saw that the strings had fallen. I repeated this until I got to the front door of Toriel's old home. I frantically opened the door and slammed it shut. I thought about how Frisk had said the house had been set up and ran to the left, going past the dining room table and the single chair and the fireplace with its ice cold ashes.

I ran into the kitchen and dug through the entire thing. But there were no knives. Fucking Chara.

I ran again, moving past everything and heading down the strange stairs and running down the corridors. I took a peek behind me to see the blue strings were following me, as though ensuring I couldn't go back the way I had come. I looked forward once more and kept going.

At least until I hit the huge door with the familiar symbol I had seen on one of Toriel's dresses. I ran into it, trying to push it open. But it wouldn't budge. I cried out in anger as I smacked the door with the palm of my hand. The only thing that happened was a jolt of pain that went up my arm to my shoulder.

“y4 cann't 0op-3n it, c-can ya?” Error cackled.

I looked behind me. He stood there, his differently colored hands stuffed in his pocket much like Sans does with his when he's nervous or angry. His head was tilted to the side and back as he regarded me with a shit eating grin on his face. I clenched the stick in one hand and the locket in the other, but never did my eyes leave his form.

“Probably because the damn thing weighs too much,” I said slowly.

He chuckled again, the broken static sound increasing. I winced, but kept my hands at my sides as the blue strings seemed to dance in mirth around us. He pulled his hands from his pockets. They were still attached to his fingers, like a puppeteer. Being around him made my skin crawl. But I couldn't let my guard down. Not after the first time I met him.

“What do you want now?”

“11nk se3ms to kn0w th4-4at 1'm h33-re.” His eyes narrowed, and signs of mirth leaving him. “ww-hat d1d yOu t3ll thaaat u5sel3-ss p1le o00f g4rbag33?”

I scoffed at him. “Pile of garbage? You're working under my dad, who are you to–”

There was no longer a chuckle. This broken sound was most definitely a laugh. Belly shaking laughter that had Error bent over with his hands on his knees, wheezing from the sounds of it. While his chuckle may have sounded broken, his laughter sounded splintered. I held my hands against my ears until he had righted himself and I couldn't hear him as bad anymore.

“y000u hone5-5stly thouu-ght th44t you'r3 pr33-eciou5 da-44ady hi1red me3 to...do-0 wha-4t? k1ll y0u?” He let out another chuckle, holding his hand over one of his eyes. “that ha-44s t0 b3 the mo00st r1dicul00us th1-1ng 1 ha4-4ve h3ard to00day.”

I paused. I was absolutely confused in that moment. He was telling me my dad didn't get him to kill me, or detain me? Or whatever it was that psycho wanted to do to me. So then who did he get? And why was Error here to begin with? I couldn't be more confused in the span of time that I was when my parents started the AMM.

The atmosphere grew colder. I looked up in shock to see that all traces of smiles and giggles had left Error. Instead, it was replaced with a crude sneer. His eye sockets narrowed, and the strings around us seemed to slither and move like snakes.

It made me uncomfortable.

“i c-c0uld 9ive 4 fff-uckk 4b0ut y0-0u'r3 f3ud. i 0nl-ly d33al w1th an4mo-0li3s.” He brought his hand up for a split second. “4and nn-3xt t0-o char44, y3r th-he w0srt.”

He shot his hand out at me, more blue strings coming toward me. I didn't have time to think about the training that G had given me before all of this, so instead I dived out of the way quickly. I rolled on the hard flooring, scraping my elbows on the ground. I lifted my arm and looked at the cut, watching the blood beginning to leak from the wound.

I looked up in time to see more blue heading my way. Instead of ducking for cover, I took in a deep breath and grit my teeth. The familiar series of pulses began to emit and I shot out one of my hands. I heard a broken curse before opening my eyes.

I had used my left hand, which was still surrounded in fire. I looked over to where Error had dropped to the ground, looking at me with a mixture of awe and absolute loathing. I didn't waste any time and threw another hit, watching a ball of fire released from my hands and went for him.

He hissed, much like a cat, and moved out of the way, seeming to disappear. My hackles rose when I looked around and couldn't find him. Instead, all I could see where white patches of static. The blue strings were going inside of them...or were they leaving them? It was like some kind of mind puzzle that I was totally failing.

I screeched in shock when the door opened. I didn't give the place a final look; I booked it out of the door as fast as I could. When the cold of the snow greeted me, the door slammed shut again. I turned to look at the strange symbol and I shook my head. I threw the stick to the side and gripped the necklace in my hand. I took off running, ignoring the cold as I made my way through the abandoned puzzles Papyrus had worked so hard on to leave behind.

I stopped in Snowdin, whirling in circles when I heard his deep chuckle.

“1 h4-ate y0u,” he snarled from somewhere. “yOu sh0uldn't ex1-15t. 6Utt her3 y0u 4re. m0-00ckin9 3veryTh!-ing i'v-v33 w0rked $o-00 h4-ard on.”

“What the fuck did I even do to you?” I shouted angrily.

There was a silence. I stopped whirling, my chest rising and falling in total agitation.

“y0u w3Re bb-Orn.”

The voice came from directly behind me and I screamed, lashing out. But there was nothing there. Things were beginning to slowly fade, and there were voices calling my name again, just like before. I sighed, partly in relief and partly in irritation.

“unt1l n3XXt t1-1mE, jewel.”

**

Unlike last time, I slowly opened my eyes to see myself surrounded. Red was still beside me in the bed, and Sans had crawled on the other side of me. Ink, G and Stretch were by my legs, looking up at me with wide, worried eye sockets. I looked at each one in turn before giving them a small smile.

“I'm alright,” I soothed. I looked at Ink directly, frowning. “But he isn't here because of my dad.”

Ink scowled. “What do you mean?”

“He said he wasn't here for me because of my dad,” I repeated. “He said he was here for...me. I'm an anomaly. That next to Chara...I was the worst.”

Sans hummed beside me and everyone looked over at him while Stretch and G helped me sit up more. “i think it's because of us.” He motioned his hand around him at all his clones. “the multiverse theory is a huge part of life.”

“The...multiverse theory?”

“the multiverse theory explains that there 's always more than one o' ya,” Red stated beside me. “more than one, and always leading some kind of similar life.” His eye lights flicked around for a moment before landing back on me. “for th' most part, anyway.”

“think how we call it an 'au',” G offered. “an alternate universe. or a parallel universe.”

“So...there's another me out there?” I asked, scowling.

“at least in the pacifist timelines,” Ink said, nodding. “in the genocide runs, there is no you. because there was never a need for that sans to have a soulmate.”

“But you all came from Pacifist routes, right?” I asked, my eyes wide as I regarded them.

Stretch shook his head. “like classic over there, a couple of us had our own runs with chara. or in my case, frisk.”

Something clicked when Sans had told me about his own experience just a couple months ago. “So you each had a Genocide run? Because of the Resets?”

Ink nodded, playing with the bristles on his paintbrush. “that's right, flower. these guys were lucky and got frisk, or chara in stretch's case, back on the right track. managed to get them to do a final pacifist run and stay that way. other alternate universes, however...” Ink frowned and sadly shook his head. “they live in those timelines forever.”

I winced. I couldn't imagine the things they had gone through. But to think there were other versions of them out there living that way? All the time? Constant Genocide runs that went through all that pain and torture. It must be hell.

The others didn't say anything for a long while, opting instead to just stroke whatever body part was within reach. I leaned against Red, earning a soft whine from Sans on my other side. Red growled at him before nuzzling the top of my head with his nasal ridge, purring softly.

“What did you mean when you said that it was because of you guys?” I inquired suddenly. “You guys should have had versions of me in your universes, if you all were living in the Pacifist Routes.”

Stretch looked over at Sans, who shrugged. “i'm not too sure myself, princess,” Sans muttered. “probably because this is the original timeline, so when you entered the area with the machine, something just...changed.”

I could feel the tension in the air coming from the others, but I didn't push it. It was obvious he was hiding something from me, but I didn't know what. Right now might not have been a good time with the way they were all watching him. Ink looked upset, while Stretch and G looked downright irate. I couldn't see Red's expression, but I could definitely guess what it was.

Right now was definitely not time to pry.

I sighed and moved to sit up, Red letting out a small whine. I rubbed his skull and continued on my mission before getting out of bed. They all were watching me before Stretch spoke first.

“where ya going, honey?”

I turned to look at him and gave him a small smile. “I'm gonna go into town and get something for us tonight. I'm gonna let the boys know they can study what they want; they'll have time for tomorrow's menu.”

He and Ink stood up quick, both coming up beside me. But all of them were giving me amused glances. I scowled at them.

“What?”

“yer not goin' out like that, now are ya?” Red snarked.

I looked down befuddled before smacking my forehead. I forgot. Red had pretty much torn everything off. So here I was, basically buck naked standing in the doorway with two other totally innocent skeletons in the house.

“Let me get dressed and two of you can come with me,” I muttered.

**

The lying piece of garbage.

That was the only thought going to through Red's mind as he watched Jewel get changed. She threw on a pair of sweatpants and a new bra with a nice looking top. She grabbed the coat that G had gotten her and straightened out the collar before taking Stretch and Ink with her.

As soon as they left the house, Red turned to face Classic.

“what th' hell was that?” he snarled. “don't she already know about th' machine?”

Classic didn't even blink. He just slowly turned his head to him and narrowed his sockets a little bit. Red glared back at him, sitting up in a better position just in case they had to go head to head again. And he was determined to win this time.

“no, she doesn't,” Classic said slowly. “and i would prefer if she didn't.”

“that's not right,” G spoke up, standing in the middle of the open floor. He crossed his arms over his sternum. “she has every right to know that us being here was a total mistake. on your part, nonetheless.”

“i don't see the big deal,” Classic snapped. “you're here, they're here.”

“yeah, away from our own homes,” Red shot back. “we don't belong here. and because of that machine and sweetheart, here we are. outside of the functional timelines.” He took in a deep breath. “i don't think you understand the magnitude of–”

“i do understand, alright?” Classic rolled off the bed and stood at the edge, watching them both. “i'm trying to find a way to fix this so you can all go home.”

The chill in room deepened, but none of them felt it. G slowly unfolded his arms from across his chest and Red felt totally blindsided. The two of them stared Classic down. Neither wore angry expressions, but G definitely looked like he was about to lunge at him. If he'd had arm muscles, they'd have been flexing right now as his phalanges curled and uncurled in his hands.

“'go home',” he repeated, calmly, slowly. Red was eyeing him, watching him closely. “you want us to 'go home'?” He gave a humorless chuckle then turned to to Red, who winced. “get that, red? he wants us to 'go home'. after meeting angel and being with her all this time, he wants us to _'go home'_.”

Red couldn't believe his metaphorical ears, either. He understood there was one of Jewel in every timeline, but to say now that Classic wanted them all to go home and leave this behind? There was something else at play that Red wanted to find out.

He got up from the bed and left the room. He traveled down the hall with the other two hot on his heels, with Classic demanding to know what he was doing. G said nothing has he kept a close on on Classic. Not that Red cared.

As he made his way down the stairs and toward the basement, Classic got the hint and lunged to stop him. Right as Red turned to stop him, G stepped forward and grabbed onto him, holding him back by his arms. Red turned back around and marched down the stairs, his anger flaring with each step.

When he made it to the basement, he went over to where Classic usually sat and opened up every folder and notebook within reach on his desk. G and him both came into the room while he tore apart everything he could find, his claws shredding some papers in the process.

When he found nothing, Red slammed his palms down, letting out some kind of noise that rivaled an angry mother bear. He swirled to face Classic and G, but neither one was looking at him. He turned back and let his eye lights zip over every part of the destroyed surface. Until he realized there was a locked cabinet right next to his kneecap.

He tried giving it one good yank, but it didn't budge. He wasn't going to ask for the key; instead, he opted to use his claw to pick it, waiting for the telltale click before almost yanking the whole drawer out.

Bingo.

Notebooks and books were scattered around in the large area. There were diagrams and equations about a machine. The same one with the blueprint up on the wall. Red brought them all out and threw them down in front of Classic, whirling to face him when he was done.

He wasn't even looking at them! The slimy little bastard was staring at the blueprint on the wall, his face set in stone. G's hand tightened until Classic seemed to yank himself out of whatever he was thinking about. He pulled himself away from G and moved toward a shelf that had his classic ketchup sitting there. When he opened it, thought, the smell of whiskey floated through the room.

“i don't have any intention to tell her yet,” he muttered, taking a swig of his weird concoction. “she's too fragile still.”

Red scoffed. “fragile. listen, both o' us have seen 'er soul. she is anythin' but fragile.” He took a step forward. “she's a goddamned warrior. don't ya ever try ta downplay that shit, classic.”

Classic gave him a harsh look. “how am supposed to tell her i was looking for my father rather than drag all of you here?” He scoffed, too. “do you think that would go over so well, red?”

“both of you shut up,” G groaned. “seriously, listen to you two.” He rubbed his nasal ridge before looking at Classic harshly. “one way or another, you need to tell her. keeping shit from her isn't fair to her.” He looked over at Red. “you and i need to figure out who it is that her dad got to go after her. since it isn't this error character.”

Red nodded and left the room without another word or glance back. His anger had reached its peak and he left the house, slamming the door on the way out. He made his way into the dense wooded area by the house and found the strongest tree he could find before letting loose. One punch was all it took before more came flying at mother nature.

He grit his fangs and felt his fists tighten. Being taken away from her? It wasn't fair. She was stubborn, stupid, and oftentimes downright awful. But more often than not, she was loving, caring. She had tended to Red at his absolute worst. She had loved him even though he could barely love himself. She even wore the collar, even after being made the butt of so many jokes, all for him.

And he wanted to take that away from them? From Ink? And Stretch and G? Even Red? He wanted to just uproot everything that had going on just so he could fucking selfish? To hell with all of that bullshit. He didn't think he could stand losing her, even if he found the one from his own timeline.

Because though they might be the same person, they never actually were. Just look at the biggest example of that right now.

He stopped punching, panting as his whole body seemed to sag. He held onto the tree for support as a fat red tinted tear came out of his eye. He squeezed his eye sockets shut tight, praying that it didn't come down to this. But he couldn't stop the tears once they started. Once that first one hit the ground, more came following after it.

He could feel his soul crack a little bit as he realized just how much he loved Jewel. He loved her so much, he didn't want to back to his own Papyrus to stay with her. And he couldn't stand the thought of losing her.

He could only imagine how the others felt. How the others would feel once G told them what Classic had said. Because there was no way he was keeping that quiet. There was already a war happening with this stupid monster movement, and now there was going to be a civil war like deal going on here. Sweetheart couldn't deal with that. She'd be pulled all sorts of ways and that wouldn't do good for her.

She'd lose her shit on all of them before losing her shit in general.

He turned his back to the tree and sat down, rubbing his skull roughly with both hands. This was no good. He couldn't go back. Not without her.

As his thoughts swam, there was a sound of a twig breaking. His hand snapped up and he looked over. There she stood, the center to all of his thoughts. She stood there with her hands clasped in front of her, her hair blowing in the wind. The sunlight hit the metal of the collar, creating a glare that would have blinded anyone else.

It was in the moment, Red knew two things.

One, she was definitely the angel G called her.

Two, he was absolutely in love with this girl.

Not a word was spoken as he reached out a hand to her. Without hesitation, she took it. He tightened his grip and tugged, bringing her down to him. She knelt in front of him. He gathered her in his arms and nuzzled his nasal passage into the top of her head, inhaling deep.

And just like that, all those painful thoughts and worries went away. The only thing on his mind was that he was holding someone so precious, but so strong. He was holding the one he wanted to hold for the rest of his existence.

The smell of Jewel washed over him, and he felt something within him calm. The most animal like part of him quieted, eased with the simple scent. He wouldn't have this any other way.

Even if he did have to share her, he would be okay with that. Because a part of her would always belong to him. He went to kiss her neck, his teeth catching the collar.

He needed her more than air.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm working chapter 26 right now. It's taking some time because work is transferring me and shit, and my Mamaw is basically on her death bed. Except that she's still fighting, in a wheelchair. Because she is so stubborn it makes my head hurt.
> 
> Please be patient, I'm really trying to keep things going with how hard everything has been.
> 
> Thank you for your patience and kindness, guys. <3 It really means a lot to me.


	26. Halloween

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's Halloween, and I went all out.
> 
> Plus, looks my dad's up to something, which is why he's been quiet.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> BALLS. I'M SO BAD AT THIS GAME ANYMORE.
> 
> I'm sorry for the wait, but this is an angsty chapter that requires patience for the next. I'm going to try and set a goal for myself everyday, for at least a page or more a day. The weekend is usually the best bet because I have the whole weekend off.
> 
> Again, I'm sorry. I'm finally feeling like myself again, and it's just taking time to come back around from the abuse I'd received for 6 years.
> 
> Thank you all for the kind words and patience.
> 
> Enjoy!

Days passed. There was no word from my dad still. No more dreams with Error. Although I'm sure Ink had something to with that. There was something in the air though that had the hairs on the back of neck standing upright. Whether it was something about the way the boys glared at Sans or maybe it was the way I didn't seem to want to go out.

Whatever it was, the night of Halloween came. Frisk came by with Toriel and Asgore, Flowey coming along begrudgingly. The two former rulers went into the kitchen with a bunch of bags. I was chilling out on the couch, flipping aimlessly through the channels trying to find the best movie I could. The boys had all run off somewhere, claiming they had things they wanted to do before they took Frisk and I out trick or treating.

Frisk plopped beside me, placing Flowey on the coffee table in front of us before leaning back against the couch. She was dressed in a bunch of orange, opting to go as a walking pumpkin with a little hat that Toriel had made with a stem. Flowey wasn't as festive apparently.

She glanced over at me, raising a quizzical brow. “Why aren't you dolled up?” she asked.

I looked over her and smiled. “I have something in mind, but I was waiting for you here. I need you to cover for me.”

She tilted her head. Even Flowey whipped himself around, his eyes lighting up. I laughed and pointed at him.

“I'm not doing anything damaging.”

“That's alright,” he said, using his leaves to shrug. “If it fucks with those smiley trashbags, I'll be down for anything.”

Frisk rolled her eyes and looked over at me. “So, what do you need?”

“Here's the plan...”

**

Sans had never been so on edge. Halloween was supposed to be a fun time for humans, and here he was, in the basement finishing up some needed equations. They had all agreed they would take Frisk and Flowey out trick or treating with Jewel. But something wasn't adding up with his work. He needed to get them right before he could fiddle with that damn machine down in the Underground.

It wasn't like he was trying to hide something from her. But what if she really did fall for the others? Error was out there, trying to kill her for being an anomaly, something that didn't make too much sense. She wasn't the one who built the machine that brought them all here.

He shook his head and threw his stuff down, huffing angrily. He moved all his shit back into the busted drawer Red had demolished, slamming it shut. He left the lab and went up the stairs, coming into the living room. He came further into the room and noticed that everyone except Jewel was there. Frisk was humming quietly, swinging her legs lazily while she sat on the couch and held Flowey.

G, Stretch and Red were in their corner, the windows all open and letting in the cool fall air. None of them had dressed up for the occasion. Ink was lazily doodling in the corner. His colorful tongue poking out of his skull. One look at Flowey's face made Sans have to stifle laughter. He looked totally floored.

He came in and sat on the couch beside Frisk, keeping his hands in his pocket. They watched some cheesy horror flick for a while before Sans checked his phone. It was almost time to go. He took a look around and noticed that Jewel wasn't back down here yet. Huh. Wonder what she was doing that was taking so long.

“i'm gonna go check on jewel,” he said, sliding off the couch. “it's almost time to go.”

“No need. I'm right here.”

All their heads whipped around while Frisk broke into a fit of giggles with Flowey. When Sans' eyes landed on Jewel, he thought his soul was going to leap right out of his sternum.

“fuck.”

**

It had taken days of planning, and millions of little trips to town over the last week to gather what I had needed for this. It was all carefully planned, and I had spent hours watching things on the internet about how to do makeup properly. And through some trial and error, I had managed to make it out looking good. At least in my opinion.

The second all their heads turned toward me, there was a rainbow of heart shaped eye lights in the room. Ink's were one orange and one yellow. For a moment, a swell of pride lifted me up. The skeleton makeup had taken forever to perfect, and I had never felt more happy.

The black dress with the skulls was my top choice to complete it, my entire frame covered in black and white. The bones had been a little harder to do with my less dominant hand, but with all the practice, they turned out better than I had thought.

None of the boys looked away from my, even as I carefully walked across the carpet in the heels I was wearing. Black leggings covered my legs. It was the only lazy way I could think of so I didn't have to use the makeup on my legs, too.

I took a seat beside Ink, who was instantly bouncing in his seat. When he went to touch me, he paused, looking over the top half of me in question. I smiled.

“It won't smear,” I mused. “I made sure to get the stuff that wouldn't because I know how you boneheads are.”

Flowey cackled. “Get 'em!”

After being shushed by the others, everyone gathered up to get ready to go. None of the boys had dressed, much to my disappointment, but I made up for it on my own. Asgore and Toriel waved as we left the house, promising Sans and Stretch that they would be in bed by their usual bedtime. And no horror movies whatsoever. With them it was understandable. Their poor little hearts couldn't take it.

We made our way around the neighborhood. I didn't know if it was because it was Halloween and no one cared, or if it was because of some other benign reason, but no one slammed their door in our faces like I had thought they would. With tensions rising between my father's side and my own, it was hard to tell where everyone in the town stood.

Frisk went around happily, carrying her candy bag in one arm and Flowey's in another. She held Flowey in both of her arms, humming happily as Sans and Red stuck by her side, eyeing any human or monster that got near her. The other three stayed back with me, Stretch's arm through mine and G behind me. Ink was on my other side, looking around in interest, even though he's seen the same scenery numerous times.

All eyes kept coming back to me especially when Frisk and I left them to go to the next door. I could feel their eyes on me, watching my moves. And it felt amazing. I had always wondered what it would be like to be loved by one person. And now, I don't have just one, but five monsters, who seem to love me unconditionally.

It felt like the world was perfect.

We made our way past a few businesses, one of which seemed to be throwing a party. I took a peek inside real quick before moving to catch up with the others. I hadn't realized how close we had come to my parent's neighborhood until one of my neighbors caught up to me.

“Jewel? I almost didn't recognize you!”

I tensed, my muscles bunching underneath me. Stretch took notice and whirled to face the sound of the voice. I turned with him to see her, standing beside her six year old son, who was staring at my mates with wide eyes of wonder, his mouth in a small “o”. She didn't flinch away from them or make a backhanded comment as she came up to me and wrapped me up in a tight hug.

“I was so worried about you, sweetie,” she whispered in my ear. She pulled away and held my upper arms, giving me a blinding smile. “I wish you would have said something. I would have taken you under my wing until the dust settled.” She looked around at my mates with a small cringe. “No offense, boys.”

“none taken,” Sans said nonchalantly. “how do ya know jewel?”

“She's been my neighbor for as long as I can remember,” I said, giving the woman a smile. She let go of me and took a step back as her son approached the tallest of my mates.

“You're tall!” he said in wonder. “Just how tall are you, Mr. Skeleton?”

I sputtered, covering my mouth to stop a laugh as G gave a chuckle. He bent down to his level, staying on knee as he spoke quietly to the boy. My neighbor looked over at me while they talked and smiled.

“I'm sorry about your parents, Jewel,” she said after a quiet minute. “I've heard the news all over town. I should have known something was going on, but I didn't think anything of it. I'm so sorry about everything.”

“No, no, it's okay,” I quickly reassured her. “I'm alright.” I looked at my five mates. “These guys came along just in time.”

Each one gave a smile and a little salute. Red let his golden fang flash, causing the little boy to gasp and turn his attention to him. “Mom! He has fangs!”

Red went to him next, taking G's spot as the previous skeleton moved away. “that's right, buddy. an' mine're real. wanna feel 'em?”

“Red!”

She laughed, placing a hand on my arm. “It's alright, child. If I thought he was an actual danger like your father keeps screaming, I wouldn't let them near him.”

“So can I, mom?” he squealed.

“So long as you don't make yourself bleed, Noah.”

Noah squealed again and I watched in strange fascination as his jowls opens and the kid carefully placed his fingers on each tooth.

“But, Irene, what's going on? It's so...dead over here.”

It was. I had never seen somewhere so dead before in this small town. It was like this entire part of town was boycotting Halloween and kept their lights off. It was just us out on the street, minus a couple of passersby wandering around looking for some last minute candy. I also happened to notice that these same people actively avoided my parents' house. Once they saw where they were, it's like they gave it such a wide berth, it would be akin to an elephant.

“Jewel...your dad isn't well,” Irene murmured. “Ever since you left, he's slowly been declining. Even your mother has been spending more time at my house trying to get away from him.” She shook her head as she ushered all of us away from the house. “I would go now, if I were you. You still have my number memorized?”

I nodded and gave her a tight hug. She returned it in fervor, giving me a kiss on the cheek. She gathered her son and waved goodbye to us before heading into her own home. After watching them go inside, we all made our way out of the neighborhood. Frisk began yawning before long.

“i'm gonna shortcut her home,” Sans murmured to me. “i'll be only a moment, princess.”

“Alright.”

They were gone and I was left with the other four, who could sense everything I was feeling. But the problem was I didn't know how I was feeling at that given moment. Everything seemed to be coming to a head. Even my mom was getting afraid of my dad. Actually, to be fair, she's truly seeing the side I've seen all these years and has finally taken some kind of action.

The only thing that stung at that moment is that she decided now was a good time to take action. What about when things had gotten heated all that time ago? Where he had thrown something at me? All the times they kept me locked in the house? All the times that I had to stay home from a party or whatever because I didn't even have a friend to go with. She decided that now was a good time to finally do something about her husband?

Fuck them.

“jewel?”

I heard them all calling my name, but I couldn't move. I could feel the tears forming, falling down my face. I felt my heart slowly splintering, my hands shaking. The emotions welling up inside of me were deafening and I could feel my chest rising and falling faster.

“angel, look at me.”

My eyes searched him out, his hands on my wet cheeks and moving my face so I was looking at him. The others were standing behind me, their brow bones moved down in concern. I reached out and clutched his arm, my mouth opening and closing like a fish out of water. None of them said anything, just gathered around me. Sans had even come back, moving to stand behind me and placing a comforting hand on my back.

“calm down, sweetheart,” Red's roughened voice came through the fog in my head. “yer gonna be alright. jus' gotta breathe.”

Hearing his voice reminded me when I found him outside, only a couple of weeks ago. He'd been slumped in front of the tree, shaking and rattling beneath his clothes. There had been red tears marks going down his face. The tree had looked like it had seen better days, and my poor skeleton had been calling out for me.

And the second I got there, he had held his arms out for me. Seeking my comfort. He had needed me in his lowest moment, and I had responded. I reached out for him with my other hand and gripped his hoodie. My knuckles were white with how hard I was gripping him.

“oh, tulip...”

After a while, they parted from me, keeping their eye lights on me. I had managed to calm down, but my head still swam with anger, hurt. Betrayal.

“you know, i saw we passed by grillbz. he's throwing some kinda silly party,” Sans said suddenly.

He was trying to take my mind off of it. How darling.

“Okay. Let's go check it out.”

“how is your makeup still alright?” Ink exclaimed suddenly, his eye sockets wide.

I gave a slight watery laugh. “Waterproof makeup, sweetcheeks.”

We made our way to Grillby's. They each took turns holding my hands, or wrapping their arms around my shoulders. In a sense, they needed it as much as I did. And I was eternally grateful for these silly skeletons that had popped into my life.

At Grillby's, Stretch held the door open as we all went in. Everyone hollered happily as they saw who came in before going back to their drinks and company. Grillby was behind the bar, giving a small wave before attending his next client. It wasn't as busy as I had thought it was going to be until I saw that most of the party was set in a certain spot.

The first person I saw out of the mass was Tabitha, the girl from the fifty's style diner Ink and I had gone to. That seemed like forever ago. I went over to her first and tapped her on the shoulder.

She turned to face me and her eye instantly lit up, scooping me into a hug. “Jewel! How have you been?”

“I've been good.” I returned the hug with fervor. “It's been a while. How is everything at the shop.”

She grinned, motioning to the people around her. “Great. These are some of the people I work with.”

They gave their names and introductions, but I already knew I wouldn't remember all of that. I just nodded politely and hoped I could figure it out along the way. After they had all given me their names and such, they invited the boys and I to join them. I shrugged, turning and motioning the boys over to where I was. They wasted no time in getting to where I was, surrounding me like a wall. The cook, the same one who had paid for my and Ink's meal that day, scoffed.

“Got your own security system, girly,” he said gruffly. Blair, if I remembered his name correctly, stood from his seat and extended his hand to each of them. “If y'all ever need something to do in your spare times, I have no problem with hiring ya to do something. Hell, we could use the security.”

“What?” A hint of panic fell in my voice as I whirled my head to look at Tabitha. She sighed, fixing the fangs in her mouth before speaking.

“Your dad is trying to get a lot of the monster-friendly human establishments shut down. Ours is first on the list.” She rubbed her upper arm uncertainly. “We've been fighting him and his groupies off, but it's getting harder. They've been trying to get a lot of the city's board members involved.”

I glowered. Not at anyone, but more at the wall as I tried to piece everything together. He'd never gone to these lengths. Just dumb monthly meetings while they bashed on whatever monster angered them the most that month. He had never taken it so far as this before. It really set my teeth on edge.

I looked at the boys, who all nodded at me before turning to Blair. “I think it'd be a wonderful idea if they stayed at the shop with you guys during the day. And have one of them walk home the females workers at night.”

Blair lit up like a Christmas tree, nodding enthusiastically, turning to the boys. They all began working out schedules when they would work and when would be best for each of them. I turned to Tabitha and moved her hand away from her arm before she ended up rubbing the skin raw. She looked at me as though she had forgotten all about me being there to begin with. I gave her a smile as I looked up at her.

“Don't worry about him.”

“It's not that...but not now!” she suddenly said. She grinned and took my hands in hers. “Let's have a good night. You look like you could use it. Aren't you twenty-one now?”

I laughed and nodded.

“Then let the festivities begin!”

**

She had been so close.

His baby girl. His darling daughter.

But she was with those things. And she had even dressed as one of them for Halloween? What kind of sick joke was she trying to pull on him?

He sat in the darkened living room. His wife was next door, sobbing into a pillow there because he could stand hearing her anymore. It was always his fault. He was the one who had done all the damage. And when he had pointed out she wasn't a saint either, she had completely lost it on him and had hit him.

He never raised a hand to her, just told her to leave until she was done acting like a child. She had stormed out and hadn't returned. That was only a month ago. He couldn't bear the thought of having to share a bed with her. Much less wondering where everything had gone wrong.

It was the monsters. It was always those...those _cretins_. 

He stood from his sofa and went into the kitchen, looking around the room. He could still see Jewel sitting there at the table playing with her Barbie dolls and looking up at him with all the love in the world. Like they had been best friends rather than father and daughter. She had held him so high in her life.

Then they broke free, and everything went downhill. He tried showing her just how much damage they had caused them, but she was having none of it. And it only broke his heart more when she started becoming independent when she was so young. He couldn't have that. She had been only thirteen; so young, yet so articulate. Writing book reviews for all these magazines and the library. He couldn't stand the thought of her being on her own so soon.

There was a single, loud knock on the door. He turned to face the door as it opened, and one of the things he hates most came into the room, eyeing him as warily as he was it.

He turned to face the newcomer, who stood taller than even he did. Another monster, sure. But one who had the same end goal as he did. He didn't want something that wanted to keep his precious girl away from him. He needed her. He wanted his family to be perfect again.

Without a word, the monster handed him something and then turned and walked out, slamming the door harshly behind him. He just smiled as he heard a slew of curses and spiteful words spew from it. Good. Be mad. Get angry. It'll only fuel his goal to help him in the end.

His family would be perfect again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know there were a lot of cuts and shit, but I had to do something, and I'm trying, I'm sorry. T_T


	27. War Zone

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I meet a new skeleton, and it wasn't a very good introduction.

The next morning, I had a splitting headache. When I opened my eyes, I was met with sunlight right to the face. I groaned in pain and turned to face the other way, burying my face into something warm and soft. I heard a quiet chuckle before a hand smoothed out the hair from where it could reach. I groaned once more in protest.

“mornin', sweetheart.”

Red's roughened voice was too loud. I went to move and cover my head with my blanket before he tutted and moved my hands away from my blanket. He moved away from me. Something clinked against the smooth bone of his fingers and he came back over to me. There was some rattling before he cooed at me.

“open up, sweetheart.”

“No.”

There was a rustle of clothes before I could feel his fangs against my mouth. Despite the pounding in my head, I opened to invite him. During the slight tangle of tongues, I could feel something slip between us and pulled away, cursing him as I choked down the pill he had given me. I snagged the water from him, glaring at his shit eating grin from over the rim of the cup.

“Jerk.”

“only for you.”

I rolled my eyes as he got off the bed and headed toward his hoodie. I slowly sat up, rubbing my eyes before moving my fingers to my temples. As I rotated in small circles, I looked over at Red as he put on his hoodie.

“What did I do?” I groaned.

He gave a short laugh, shaking his head as he turned to face me once more. “ta put it nicely, i think ya would 'ave an amazin' voice if ya weren't so plastered from drinkin', sweetheart.”

Oh God. I put my head in my hands and shook my head. I don't even like karaoke. I plopped back down on my pillow and sighed, moving my blanket to cover myself back up and turning over.

“sweetheart, get up.”

I let out a small whine and burrowed deeper under my blankets. If this is what a hangover felt like, I never wanted to drink again. That was that. I felt the bed dip beside my legs and moved over a little, leaving my warm spot just for this skeletal asshole.

If that isn't love, I don't know what is.

I felt his hand smooth over my hair, and I closed my eyes in contentment. I felt my body slowly relax and I could feel myself drifting off again as my phone started vibrating on the nightstand beside me. I popped one eye open and glared at it while Red chuckled and picked it up, answering it without checking who was calling.

“yo.” There was a pause then he winced, his hand pausing. “tab, i can't make out what yer sayin'. slow down.”

His expression changed as she continued to frantically talk through the phone. While I couldn't hear anything actually being said, the tone in her voice carried through the phone. She sounded panicked, almost anxious. He nodded a couple times and handed the phone to me.

I sat up and snagged the phone from him, putting it on speaker so we could both hear. The first noises that greeted me were shouting and things breaking in the background. I was pretty sure I was listening to glass break. I winced.

“Tabitha, what's going on?” I demanded.

“Jewel, thank god.” There was a pause before she continued. “Look, I need all of you here, now. There's some fucking riot going on and – hey! Watch your shit, you fucking nerd! I'll blast you with my other shoe!”

“Tabs!”

“Sorry, sorry.” She sighed in frustration. “I couldn't get a hold of the police. I need you guys down here, now. Please. They're destroying the diner.”

I narrowed my eyes in anger before I looked over at Red. He nodded quietly and left my room, taking his shoes with him. While he shouted at everyone to start getting up, I took my phone with me to my dresser and started getting dressed.

“What's all going on?” I asked.

She cursed a few times before answering. “We have no idea, girl. The entire street just emptied like, half an hour ago. We thought there might have been a parade or something on the other side of town, but then a brick just comes flying through the window. Hey! Don't break that pan, Blair!”

There were sounds of crashing and people shouting. I winced and ran a brush through my hair real quick before grabbing my collar.

“Just hurry, Jewel. This is gett – _is that a fucking Molotov_?”

The line dropped and I stared in horror at my phone before rushing downstairs and heading into the living room where all the boys were gathered. They all turned to look at me with varied looks of confusion on their faces as I quickly fastened the collar on.

“We have to go, now!” I shouted. I looked at Red. “Molotov.”

His eye widened and he was gone in an instant, red smoke rising into the air. The others took initiative and followed suit, smoke of different colors dispersing into the air. Sans grabbed me and brought me close to him.

“you know the drill, princess.”

I wrapped my arms around him as the world shifted around us. I didn't close my eyes this time, a black empty space greeting me. Off in the distance, I could see a vague figure. It looked...melted, as though it was on its last legs of trying to survive. It turned to face me, its face melted and distorted. It raised an arm...

And we were in front of the diner. I didn't have time to think about that as I turned to look at the carnage behind me. There was broken glass and splinters all over the ground. People were mobbing on either side of the diner, and there was a fire raging behind the one in the street. I coughed as the wind blew the smoke our way and I ran from the fumes. I looked around me and noticed that my boys were all trying to fight off the angry mob that just seemed to get angrier by their appearance.

“Sans, call nine-one-one right now! That fire is just going to keep growing with this wind.” I charged ahead as he brought out his phone. I managed to slip past everyone and head into the diner, watching as Tabitha kicked a woman off of her.

“”Tabs!”

Her head snapped in my direction and she smiled. “Welcome to the party, Jewel. Glad you could make it.”

I glanced behind me at the fire raging. “I take it the Molotov didn't work for them?”

She shook her head. “Luckily, no. They must have tripped or something.”

I looked at her with a raised brow. She shrugged with a smile and headed for the front again. As I went to follow her, something caught my eye and turned to look as a red scarf slipped through the door leading to the back alley. I scowled. Papyrus was here?

I followed him silently, peeking around the corner to make sure he had really gone outside. I made my way over and peeked my head out. I didn't see anyone, so I came all the way out, hoping the door wouldn't be loud.

It wouldn't have mattered, it seemed, as a bone flew past my head and embedded itself in the brick behind me. I stiffened as I felt a trickle of blood roll down my cheek. I touched my fingers to it and looked at them before looking at the skeleton in front of me.

He was like my Papyrus, only...sharper. Darker. He wore battle body armor as well, only his top was black with shoulder pads that ended in sharp points. His pants were also all black, held up on his pelvic bone with a red belt that had a gold skull belt buckle on it. His gloves and boots were both red, both of them stopping at either the elbow or knee. There was a red scarf wrapped around his neck. His face was marred, three scars carved into his skull over his eye. His teeth were like Red's; they were freaking fangs.

Then that could only mean that this was Red's brother.

I held up my hands, even as he seemed to summon another bone. It was encased in red magic and the end was sharpened, a lot like Red's was. While part of thought that making eye contact would have been a good idea, the other part of me told that was an absolutely terrible idea. So I stared at the chest of the battle armor instead. 

“I'm sorry, I didn't mean to startle you.” I kept my voice quiet, my tone even. At this point, he was like a spooked animal and I needed to be cautious. Not like Red was back here with me. “I was just curious.”

“SO YOU'RE THE TRAMP THAT STOLE MY BROTHER.”

Much like Papyrus, his voice was loud. But his was raspier, more abrasive. And the way he was looking at me, with narrowed eyes and a sneer, brought Red's words back into my mind.

This was a monster used to a kill or be killed world. He had no idea how to handle this place, and he knew his brother was here. He had killed people for his brother. He had used the collar to protect him.

I put my fingers through the metal loop on my collar before making eye contact with him. HE wore a look of contempt, as though I was worth less than the ground we stood on. He had his hand on something at his hip, and I heard a clinking sound, like metal hitting metal. I tightened my grip.

“Well, I'm not a tramp, and I most certainly didn't steal him,” I said calmly. “He was brought here, and I don't quite know how.”

He sneered. “SILENCE, FILTH.” He brought his hand away from his hip with what looked to be a leash. “YOU'RE COMING WITH ME SO MY BROTHER AND I CAN FINALLY GO HOME.”

He found a way back? My eyes widened as he took a step toward me. I took a step back and felt the fear within me rise. I could feel the panic welling within me. I was cornered without any of my mates around me.

The door beside me slammed open. I looked over...and that was my mistake. Without missing a beat, edgy Papyrus latched onto my collar with the leash and gave a hard tug. I fell to the ground, crying out as dirt rose in a cloud around me. I coughed as some went into my lungs, waving wilding around me to make the cloud go away.

“bro, let 'er go!”

Red's voice soothed me, but only slightly. I was still stuck in a spot with a monster who thought that killing others was okay. I moved so I was leaning to the side, but I could see my mate. Red was standing there, recognition slowly coming over him. He realized within seconds it really was his brother, his version of Papyrus. He took in the scene and his eye lights dimmed out. His red ones came back out, his eyes flicked up to his brother.

“bro, what th' fuck.”

“IT'S TIME TO GO HOME, BROTHER.” There was another sharp tug on the leash and I landed back in the dirt. “WE HAVE THINGS TO TAKE CARE OF.”

I could hear broken glass crunch under his boots as Papyrus shifted and began dragging me toward him. I stifled a cry as my clothes tore from the glass on the ground, dirt getting into my eyes and down my throat again. I used my hands to try and get the stuff out of my face and let out a small whimper instead. I couldn't see a thing, and that's what worried me the most.

“'m not goin' anywhere with ya, paps.” Red sounded resigned, but sure. “that's my mate yer draggin' around.”

This gave him pause, as though he had turned back to face Red. I took that time to attempt to sit up and use my hands to search blindly around me. I could feel my chest heaving, my throat burned and my eyes were watered to the point it felt like I was crying. My entire body was on edge, and I could feel small trickles of blood from my upper body.

“Red...”

“FILTH. HIS NAME IS SANS.”

He tugged on the leash again and this time, I did cry out. This time I did start crying, almost sobbing as I desperately tried to look for my mate. Any of my mates. I was terrified of what this monster could do to me. And I was worried he would piss off Red so much, he would go back to that horrible animal way. The thought made my stomach churn and I started crying a little harder.

“seriously, bro. let 'er go!”

There was a low growl in Red's voice that made me wince. But I didn't care, I just wanted him. My hands fumbled as I tried to find the clasp to the leash. Another tug had me skidding along the ground once more, glass digging into my skin as edgy Papyrus growled above me.

“last warnin', papyrus.”

Red wasn't playing. I could hear the low hum of magic as a charge filled the air around us. I cried out and tried heading in the direction where the magic felt stronger. While his brother was in shock, I released the clasp and crawled blindly on the dirty ground, sobbing, looking for my mate. For any of my mates. I just needed one of my mates.

A pair of hands lifted me from the ground and cradled me against its figure. My hand flew to whoever it was, sobbing into the fabric. I tried to scrub my face of all the dirt before those same hands moved mine out of the way.

“angel, stop it...you're going to make it worse.”

G's voice smoothed over me like honey. I could feel my panic slowly ebbing, and my sobs quieted. Something wet dabbed at my face, getting all the dirt. Or, at least getting as much as it could. I was able to finally open my eyes. Though it took me a moment, I finally managed to take a look around me. Red was in front of everyone else, his bones encased in magic and aimed at his brother. Sans was next to G and I, his bones encased in his blue magic.

G was still wiping my face off, his expression pinched. It looked at though he was restraining himself from launching at the offender. It looked like that with all three of them. I cried out when I saw G's leather coat and wool sweater had crud all over them. I panicked for a moment again before he shook his head, smiling and placed his teeth against mine. My soul surged forth, and my nerves settled. I heard a scoff.

“ARE YOU OKAY WITH THAT?” Edgy Papyrus demanded. “THAT HE'S KISSING YOUR GIRLFRIEND?”

“bro, that's not my girlfriend.” Red sounded peeved, and his hands were balled at his sides, coated in his red magic and his shoulders were hunched like he was about to strike. “that's my mate. that's what i've been tryna tell ya.”

The silence was deafening. His brother looked like he was about to scream and throw a fit. I burrowed deeper into G when his eyes locked on me. He didn't look remorseful, but when he looked at his brother, he looked resigned.

“THEN IT'S TIME TO LEAVE HER.”

My heart dropped out of my chest. A wave of anxiety took over me as I nearly dropped myself from G's grasp. “No!”

“SILENCE, HUMAN.” He threw one of his magical bones, which G easily blocked with a quick wave of his hand.

Red seemed to pause. I couldn't see his expression and part of me was afraid to see it. The fear of him leaving me was palpable in the air. I knew Sans and Red felt it more strongly with the bond, but I couldn't help but feel like I was going to be sick. My entire world was resting in his one answer, and I was scared he would go with his brother.

G put a hand on my head before moving it down to where my soul was located. The resonance within me seemed to pulsate in the air and even get Papyrus's attention. Red relaxed and slowly backed away from his brother toward us. When he got by me, G handed me off to him. I wrapped myself around him, burying my face in the area where his collar and his hood separated. I wrapped my arms around him tightly and clung to him as he wound his arms around me.

“sorry, paps. i...i can't do that.” I felt his teeth against my hair. “i need 'er more than air, bro. i ain't goin' back.”

I didn't hear anything except the occasional clinking of the leash against the ground. We were joined by Stretch and Ink, who made sure I was okay as soon as they saw me clinging to Red. They all posted up around me and I didn't let Red go for a second.

“There isn't a way to go back,” I finally managed to choke out. Whether he heard me or not, I didn't care. “You can't go back, and there isn't a way for him to go back either.”

“WHAT NONSENSE DO YOU SPEW? OF COURSE WE CAN GO BACK. A WAY HAS BEEN PROMISED TO ME.” When no one said anything, he spoke again. “FRISK MISSES YOU. HE AND THAT FUCKING FLOWER BOTH. WELL, MORE FRISK.”

He? Frisk must be male in their timeline. Part of me wondered how that worked, with them being different genders. It beat the fuck out of me.

“whoever it was lied to you,” Stretch muttered. “why don't we go back. everythin' is taken care of out front. they gave the okay.”

“here, take her.”

I whined as I once more passed around, only this time, Ink got a hold of me and nuzzled the top of my head. “you're okay now, flower. let's get you home.”

“come with us, papyrus.” Red sounded desperate. “please.”

There wasn't another word I heard as Ink disappeared into that empty black void. That melted black figure was closer and I could make out two distinct lines that were similar to G's. Before I could say anything, we popped back into my room. Ink headed into the bathroom and sat me on the floor by the sink. I let out a quiet whine and he bent down to my level, placing a bony finger over my lips.

“we're gonna get'cha cleaned up, rose.” He bent over and gave me a small peck on my forehead. “this way none of your cuts or anything get infected from all that grime.”

He moved away from me and started running the water in the tub. I curled up, placing my arms around my legs and burying my face in the hole it created. Tears ran down my face as it really struck me that I could lose my mate. I could really lose Red and it would pain me more than anything in this world to lose him.

I get he loved his brother; they all love their respected siblings or whatever. I didn't even know if there was a Papyrus for G. Or if Ink and Error were siblings or counterparts like Yin and Yang. I shook my head and brought it back up when Ink's fingers raced over my arm.

“let's get ya in,” he murmured. “c'mon.”

He stood me up and used the counter as a support while he took off my shirt and my bra, careful to avoid touching me anywhere. It was strange considering I'd figure he would take advantage of the moment. He didn't even look. He pulled down my pants and panties, his fingers carefully avoiding any spot that would be too sensitive. He took them off with my socks and shoes and lifted me up, one arm under my knees and the other behind the top of my back.

He carefully knelt by the tub and slowly lowered me into the warm water. I could feel the sting from the small lacerations in my skin and hissed. He pulled his arms out of the water and pat my head before heading for the door. I watched him before speaking up.

“Are you not staying with me, Ink?” I asked in a whisper.

He shook his head. “i have to talk to classic.”

I sighed and nodded, moving further under the water as he closed the door behind him. I heard some small talking before it opened back up and Ink came back in shaking his head.

“he told me to stay here with you.” Ink shrugged. “he's complicated for the original.”

I chuckled and moved so that I could start scrubbing the dirt off. “Tell me more about those worlds.”

He laughed. “ahh, flower, of course. which one would you like to hear about?”

“Well, you've told me about yours and the others'. You said there was one where Sans...killed everyone?”

Ink shivered at that. Visibly shivered. I could tell he didn't like thinking about it, but he went on anyway, telling me about the universe where Sans killed everyone, even his own brother, just to beat Chara. When he explained that Frisk had been completely taken over by Chara, I felt a twinge in my chest.

All these things were happening, even now. It was hard imagining that. I didn't realize I was close to sleep until Ink cleared his throat and I was taken out of the tub, a towel thrown over me. He carried me to my room before laying me down on the bed. When he went to leave, I whined.

“No, staaaay.”

I could feel sleep dragging me under. Ink seemed to pause before taking out his phone and messaging everyone before putting it down on my nightstand. He took off his scarf and placed his giant paintbrush on the ground, propping it against the stand. He kicked off his shoes and then crawled into bed with me. He tucked the covers over us.

“dandelion, you know it's a little past lunch right?” he murmured while stroking my hair. “you know how bad naps are.”

“I want a nap with you,” I grumbled. “Shut up and let me have that.”

He did, curling me up against him. I snuggled close, taking in the scent of fresh ink. Within moments, I was asleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry about the hiatus guys. I had fallen into such a horrible depression I couldn't get myself out of it until recently. It's been a taking a lot out of me and I'm still trying to fix my sleep schedule.
> 
> Hope you guys enjoyed. *:


	28. Bullies Aren't Welcome

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I got tired of Edge's garbage, so I gave him a piece of my mind.  
> Error and I got into it, once more.  
> Edge and I had a difficult discussion in the middle of the night.

I woke up a couple hours later to a loud crash and yelling. I bolted upright to see Ink was already gone. I quickly scrambled out of bed and threw on some sweats and a shirt before bolting out of my room. When I turned the corner, a bone covered in red magic flew past my face. I let out a squeal of surprise.

“boss, ya gotta stop that shit!” I heard Red yelling. “seriously, ya almost impaled m' mate, again!”

“SO WHAT?”

“ugh!”

The others were gathered around the door and when they noticed me there, G came over and scooped me up in his arms. When he brought me back over to see the scene in front of me, I felt my eyes almost bug out of my skull.

The room was destroyed. The things Red had collected from this universe were swiped off of his desk and dresser top. Red bones were stuck in the walls and in the floor. There were books that were strewn throughout the room and pages of them were torn to shreds. I noticed there was a picture of Red and I that was laying by the far wall and the glass was shattered.

I felt anger rising inside of me. I used to cower in situations like this. I used to just let these things happen. But watching this asshole do this to my mate? I don't care if this was how it was back in their timeline. This was a different timeline, and this Edgy Papyrus wasn't going to do this to him. Not here, not now.

Everyone watched as I struggled out of G's arms and marched into the room. Red paused and watched me, his jaw still slightly hanging open from what he was about to say. Edge, which is what I've decided to call him, watched me with wary eyes. I marched up to him and stood in front of him with my hands on my hips. I motioned for him to come down to my level, since, you know, I'm fucking short.

When he did, I smacked him.

No one moved, not even Edge. Red scrambled toward me and pulled me away from him, wrapping his arms around me as I struggled against him. I wasn't done with him.

“Who the hell do you think you are!” I shouted. “I don't care how it was in your timeline, you will not treat him like this! You leave him alone and stop being a fucking bully! You have no right to act like this!”

The last sentence came out on a sob and I slowly stopped struggling. I slumped a bit as Edge stood back up to his full height. No one said anything, and the others were watching him with glares. Sans had his arm out, blocking the others from getting inside as he looked away.

“I don't care who you think you are, you won't push around my mate anymore!” I shouted, tears running down my face in fat streams. “You're a fucking jerk, but Red loves you! And I had some form of respect for you until all of this!”

Edge scoffed, not missing a beat. “YOU HAVE NO IDEA WHO I AM, HUMAN. RESPECT FOR ME WHEN DON'T KNOW ME IS HIGHLY RIDICULOUS.”

“I did because Red loves you. He cares about you, no mattered what happened in that horrible timeline,” I choked out. “But watching you do this when no one is hurting him or thinking of hurting him is bullshit.”

I pushed Red off me and left the room, heading down into the living room and curling up on the couch, burying my face in my knees. I knew the reason he was like that, and I understood that some old habits died hard. But after what he did to me earlier, and what he was doing to Red now, I wasn't tolerating it, and he needed to know that. I wasn't that meek human he met in the alley; I was stronger than that.

At least, that's what I wanted to tell myself.

The cushion beside me dipped, then the one on the other side. There was movement behind me and in front of me. I looked up and saw all of my skeleboys, gathered around me. Even Red was there, red tears in the corner of his eye sockets. G was behind me, smoothing the hair away from my face. Sans was on my right, Red on my left. Stretch and Ink were sitting at my feet, talking about something quietly and flipping through the television channels.

I felt whole in this moment and felt them snuggle me from all sides. I had never felt more loved in my entire life.

We stayed like that for a couple more hours until Papyrus called that it was time for dinner. They slowly moved away from me and we all walked into the dining room where Blueberry was laying down the plates. He seemed timid as he put Red's plate down.

“IS YOUR BROTHER JOINING US TONIGHT?” he asked.

Red shook his head. “nah, but make him a plate and i'll take it up ta him right quick.” He paused before he patted Blue's skull. “thanks, kiddo.”

Blue beamed and skipped along to do so. Papyrus took his seat beside Sans and I was smushed between Red and Ink tonight. A wonderful smell wafted out of the kitchen as Blue rushed to give the plate to Red. I didn't see what it was before he disappeared. Then Blue ran back and brought out a little trolley full of food.

There was steak and mashed potatoes. There was a huge bowl of green beans, which made Stretch groan. I laughed as Blue stopped by him and gave him two huge spoonfuls of the green vegetable. Then came the potatoes and then a huge cut of steak. It smells amazing as he went around and did this for everyone before serving himself and sitting beside his brother. Red reappeared, sitting in his seat with a sigh.

“give 'im time,” he muttered beside me. “it'll...take a bit.”

I took his hand and squeezed it. “I understand. For now, let's eat.”

As everyone dug in, the only sound in the room was metal hitting ceramic. I watched as all my boys scarfed down their food, as if they were inhaling it rather than eating it. I shook my head and kept my hand in Red's as we ate. Ink was quiet beside us, like his head was somewhere else rather than here. I made it a point to talk to him later.

After dinner, Papyrus and Blue cleaned everything up as everyone made their way to their rooms. I entered mine and shut my door before sighing and heading for the bathroom. I needed a shower. Bad. I still felt dirty from all the stuff that happened earlier.

I grabbed my phone and played music before grabbing a change of clothes and heading into the bathroom. I turned on the water and stripped, getting in and standing there for a moment. I let the water cascade down my body while thinking.

If Edge was here, that meant maybe others could have gone through? Or maybe we really could send them all back? I didn't know when he showed up; that was the issue. He could have come at the same time as the others, but ended up somewhere else. Hell, maybe he hid from all of us and waited until we all left.

But he wouldn't have let his brother leave like that. I found it impossible for that thought process. With how attached the two are, it just didn't seem possible. I shook my head and started washing my hair, stepping out of the spray for a moment.

If there was a way he came here after that incident, then I needed to know. Call me selfish, but I didn't want my skeleboys leaving. I would sooner find the thing that brought them here and destroy it before letting them go. I didn't want to lose them. I couldn't lose them.

After everything I've gone through for them and with them, it would mean the end of my world right now if I lost them.

I left the conditioner in my hair as I went to wash my body. I couldn't think about anything else. It pained me to think that maybe, one day, they would want to go back to their own timelines. I could understand; they had lives there before they were here. They had their own versions of Alphys and Undyne. Their own versions of Muffet and Grillby. The Dreemurr family. Of Frisk and Chara. They all had lives there. Whether it was one where they wanted to be or not, it was their life. And something within me brought them to me.

Maybe Error was right. Maybe I was just some kind of weird glitch.

I rinsed myself off, coming out of the water with a big breath. I shivered and turned off the water before getting out. I grabbed my towel and began drying off before putting my clothes on. I brushed out my hair real quick before heading into my room. I hung up my towel and threw my clothes into the hamper before collapsing on my bed.

I looked toward the ceiling and sighed. I would give whoever it was sleeping with me another ten minutes before I said fuck it and passed out. After the day I've had, I'm too tired to want to stay awake. I groaned and threw my arm over my face.

“For fuck's sake.”

“everything okay, angel?”

I shrieked and sat upright. G stood in my doorway, leaning against the doorjamb as he watched me. His arms were crossed over his chest and he was smirking at me, one of his brow plates raised. He wasn't wearing his leather jacket, and his boots were off. He came into the room and shut the door behind him.

“Damn it, G!” I laughed while I hit him with one of the pillows. “You scared the hell out of me!”

He smiled. “sorry, angel. are you ready to sleep again?”

I nodded. “I'm exhausted.”

He shed his wool sweater, exposing his bones and he laid beside me. He held out his arms and I crawled over to him, snuggling against him as I covered the both of us. I didn't even realize he was even wearing his pajama bottoms. Shows how much I pay attention.

I yawned, trying to cover it up. Sadly, G knew me well enough and pressed his teeth against the top of my head. Wrapped in the embrace of my bad boy skele, I let sleep take over me.

**

“Error!”

Hotland was just what the name said: hot. I had just gotten here into this dream land and I was already sweating. I wiped my brow and made my way through the land. I passed by puzzles and many a path. It was so barren, it was hard to think these monsters actually stayed here. Then again, I had noted that there were certain monsters fitted for certain climates.

I had to find him, though. I needed answers, and he was the only one really willing to give them to me. Even though he wanted to kill me, he also answered. It was just strange that he wasn't coming after me. There weren't any patches of static. None of his blue strings. For the first time since all this garbage started, I was actually worried about this prick.

Even if he did want my head on a pike.

“Error!”

I kept calling for him, trying to figure out the stupid steam jumping thing. It was frustrating, and I could feel the sweat dripping down my back. Whoever came up with this was getting my foot shoved up their ass.

Unless it was Papyrus.

I finally made it through before noticing that his strings were starting to show up. There weren't as many as usual, but they were there. Still no patches, though. I shrugged it off and made my way through into the lab.

I'd only see the lab twice. Once where it was still put together, and then once when the machine had exploded. When I walked into the wires still split and part of the lab destroyed, I wasn't as shocked as I had thought I would be. Here, the strings were everywhere. I could even take a step without almost tripping over one.

“Error! Quit fucking playing!” I snarled loudly.

“1'mm n0t.”

I jumped away just a string came right for the center of my chest. My soul. This prick was aiming to get my soul. I grit my teeth and swiped my left hand in the direction I heard his voice, fire leaving in a steady beam. He jumped out of the way and gave me a small grin. He hand extended, more strings coming for me.

This time, I lashed out with my right hand, bits of frost and snow coming from it as it shot out at its target. He cursed and just barely dodged it. I didn't have time for this today.

“Error, stop! I need to talk!”

He sneered at me. “Tth3re is-5 n0 tt-4lkin9. y0u ne33d t0-0 d1e-3.”

I snarled at him before using my right hand once more. He went left before shooting the strings from his fingers once more. I jumped back and ground my teeth together, using both hands to shoot magic at him. He laughed as moved around it. I wish I had seen the small flick of his wrist in time.

Strings wrapped around my wrists and ankles, lifting me into the air. I shouted out, cursing myself for not being more aware of my surroundings. I yanked at the thin strands that held me, but it was like they were made of cement instead of freaking string. I looked up right as he came into view.

He was sitting on a small swing made of his threads, one red leg crossed over the other. His black and blue basketball shorts scrunched up a little while he leaned forward. One of his elbows was on his kneecap and his skull was resting in the palm of his hand. His yellow fingertips ran over one of his teeth as he grinned at me.

“15n'tt thi-is b3tt3r?” he asked, his voice still glitching. “i th1-ink th1s-5 i5 ni-cc3.”

“Why is Red's brother here?”

I thought he was going to fall out of his swing he was so taken aback. He blinked his mismatch eyes at me before leaning forward. He was so close, his breath puffed in my face. It smelled like an old computer lab, something akin with anything mechanical. I shrunk away from him as much as the bonds would allow me to.

He smiled at me, one of those false smiles that put you on edge. I felt my skin crawl the longer he looked at me, but he said nothing. Instead, he simply swung a little on his little throne of blue. I tried summoning my fire magic, but nothing came of it. He tutted and shook his head.

“p1x3l, pl34s-se.” I blinked at the pet name. Pixel? I'm not the one dotted with error messages. “ca-4N't w3-EE jU5t g-99et th1-is ov3-eer with?”

“Answer me first.”

He sighed dramatically and rolled his eyes. I took it to note that he seemed extra cocky when he caught what he was after. It really ground on my nerves, but I bit my tongue. If I could get the information and get this over with, I could deal with him another day when things weren't so chaotic.

“n0-ot sur3. h3-e m19-ght ha4ve come3 ov3r wi1-th th-3 othe-3rs. wh4t do 1 c4-aree?”

“Error, please. This is serious. I'm trying to figure things out, you stupid volatile bug,” I snapped.

Bad move.

Error's eye lights shrunk in his skull, his head tilting as he watched me dangle before him. My cry died in my throat as group of thread wrapped around my throat. I choked out, my struggles doubling as I tried to free myself from the thing killing me.

“bu9?” he said, that smile still on his face. “1'm th3 bu9? wh0 d0 y0ou th1nk yo-0u're t4lki1ng t0?” While his voice still glitched, his words were formed a little better. There weren't as many bleeps and pauses in between as there used to be. It made me skin crawl. “th3-e 0nly bu-u9 h3r3 15 y0u, gl1-1tch b-1-tch.”

I arched my body and tried throwing myself in different directions to get the threads to loosen somehow, anyway possible. Another group of strings wrapped around my middle, holding me in place while I tried to desperately get any air.

“1 d0n't kn0-ow 4-anyth1-ing ab0ut th4t.”

If that was the case, then this was useless, and I was going to die. I squeezed my eyes closed and tried my best to imagine the world around me crumble and break into pieces. Trying to free myself from the hold this dream had on me. I felt lightheaded and opened my eyes to see Error looking around him in panic before he looked at me, an unsettling look in his eyes.

“y0u b1tch.”

Right as he lunged at me from his swing, I blacked out, the dream world falling all around me in shambles.

**

I shot up in bed, hands going to my throat and looking around me. It was still pitch black outside and I looked over to my right. G was still sleeping, half of his face stuffed in my pillow and his arm all the way behind him. The other one was tucked under the pillow I had been laying on. How he hadn't woken up when I had shot up was beyond me.

I sat there for another moment before I said fuck it and got out of bed. I put on my slippers and my robe before slipping out of my room and heading past the boys' rooms. I crept downstairs and heading into the kitchen. I went right for the fridge and grabbed the first bottle of water I could find. It went down smoothly and I could feel myself returning to the point where I didn't feel like I was half in and half out of this world.

I had almost died. I had almost let Error kill me because I was foolish enough to trust that he would give me some kind of answer. His main goal was to kill me. And he would use any tactic he could. Ink had told me once in passing that while Error could fight fair, he chose not to. Error liked fighting dirty.

And I gave him the ultimate chance to murder me. I scrubbed my hand down my face and took another long drink, emptying the bottle. I threw it in the recycling bin that Blue insisted we keep in the house, even though all of these weirdos had trash tornadoes in their rooms. I didn't even ask, because I knew I wouldn't have gotten an answer.

I sighed and turned around. When I looked up from the ground, Edge stood there, his arms crossed, red eye lights looking down at me. There wasn't much light in the room, but from what I could see, he looked just as pissed to see me as I was shocked to see him. My first thought was to shrink away like a scared cat before I realized I didn't give a shit. I already smacked him. What more could happen now? He stabbed me with a bone? The boys would know before anything really bad happened.

I straightened my back and lifted my chin a little as I walked by him, not meeting his gaze. I refused to touch him, actively avoiding him when I went beside him. I didn't pause or try to say anything. There was no point. I knew what he thought of me. And he knew what I thought of him. That's all there was to this.

I would avoid him and he would avoid me. Fine.

“HE'S CHANGED.”

I almost had a panic attack when his voice echoed in the space around us. I stopped walking, but I didn't turn around and I don't think he did either. Neither of us moved and there wasn't another noise in the house. Well, maybe except for Red's obnoxious snoring.

“I'm sorry if you don't like it, but –”

“I'M HAPPY FOR HIM.”

Surprise was never ending with this one, wasn't it?

I sighed. I didn't want to turn around, but I did. When I looked up, he was looking right at me. He hadn't turned all the way around, just enough to see his profile. He didn't seem too happy to admit it, and his eye lights were looking at the wall straight ahead of him. I sighed and propped my hands on my hips.

“If you were happy for him, you would have stopped while you were ahead,” I snapped. “And not to mention, I wouldn't have had to snap at you like I did. But I want you to know now, I'm not that meek little bitch that was in the alley. And I won't tolerate your bullshit in the house. Not with Papyrus and Blue.”

He turned most of his body to face me now. In the light, I saw he wore pajama pants...with fucking cake slices on them. And rainbows. Cake and fucking rainbows. I slapped a hand over my mouth before a laugh could escape. He glared at me, the scars on his face moving just like G's did when he glared or moved his eye sockets a certain way.

“THERE IS A REASON I AM THE WAY I AM WITH MY BROTHER, I'LL HAVE YOU KNOW,” he snapped.

I rolled my eyes. “Edgy, please. You're killing me.”

“I'M ABOUT TO.”

I straightened myself and let my hands fall to my sides. Within a moment, my hands were covered in their respective magic. The flames from my left hand illuminated the room around us. I took a battle stance, and lowered my head at him.

“Then bring it, asshole,” I snarled. “I'm in no mood.”

The look on his face was interesting. While he looked impressed, he also looked bored. He waved a hand at me and I sighed. I was only a little disappointed. After the fight and the time I had with Error, I was really in no shape to go head to chest with this monster. 

“YOU KNOW SANS...ANY OF THE VERSIONS OF SANS, I'M GUESSING, HAS ONLY ONE HP, CORRECT?”

I scowled. I didn't know that. None of them, nor Frisk, mentioned this in the slightest way. I could remember when I stayed with Red in his room, and he definitely hadn't mentioned it. Neither had Sans or Frisk when we were talking about what had happened Underground. Flowey hadn't either. I was so confused and hurt.

“Only...only one?” I asked, my voice small.

“CORRECT, HUMAN. WHILE THEY MAY BE GOOD AND COCKY, IF THEY GET HIT ONCE, IT'LL BE THEIR DEMISE.”

The thought sent shiver up my back. I felt my hands shaking and I looked at anything but him. He didn't stand down, but he didn't continue either. I took in a deep breath and nodded, looking at him now.

“I'll protect him, Edge,” I whispered. “I...I love him, and I will protect him. I'll protect them all.”

With that said, I turned and ran, heading up the stairs back to my room. I crawled into bed with G, who stirred a little and whispered something before falling back asleep. I snuggled against him and buried my face in his ribs, shaking still from the news that had just been dropped on me.

It took a while to go back to sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to
> 
> @firedrakegirl  
> @EncatRoska
> 
> For giving me some wonderful words. I'll be alright, just having a hard time adjusting to normal life. lol.
> 
> You two are so sweet, thank you!
> 
> This is dedicated to you two! Hope you enjoyed loves!


	29. Vents and Sex*

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> G and I spend some...quality time together.
> 
> In the library.

The next couple of weeks flew by. Thanksgiving was spent trying to teach Papyrus and Blue how to properly deal with a turkey and how to make all the sides while Red cracked up in the corner. Edge had slowly started coming around more, even helping in the kitchen every now and again. He was still a little hostile toward me and the gentler of the skeletons, but that was to be expected, I guess.

Sans and the others had been taking shifts down in the basement to work on whatever it was down there. The machine that seemed to really irk everyone but Sans himself. If I brought it up, though, no one mentioned it. I didn't even bother trying, just made random noises whenever they brought up they were working on it.

Christmas was quickly approaching, and the weather outside had started getting colder and whiter. Edge, G and Ink had helped Blair and Tabitha rebuild and redo the diner after the initial attack. I was told I'd have to go see how Ink did on the interior, but I had more important things to worry about.

Like, for example, what the fuck do you give skeletons that already have the money to get whatever they wanted?

When I brought that up, they rebuffed it by saying they already had me. Just the thought of the answer had me internally screaming at them. I sat in the library day in and day out trying to figure out something for each of them, even the others, but nothing ever came to mind. This was harder than I thought it would be.

I leaned back in the chair, groaning and rubbing my hands over my face. I sat in the library now, away from the noise of the boys. I had the fireplace started, the flames licking toward the top like they were trying to follow the thick smoke out of the house. There was a teapot full of tea sitting beside me with an empty cup, a little bowl of cubed sugars and a little thing of cream and a little thing of milk beside that. Both Papyrus and Blue had brought it up to me happily, claiming nothing helps with reading other than a hot cup of tea.

I poured myself another cup and added the stuff I needed in it before taking another sip. They seemed proud when they told me King Asgore himself had created this tea. When they told me it had a little bit of the golden flower in it, I had let it dribble out of my mouth before they panicked and said it wasn't enough to do anything. Plus, drinking it in a dulled state wouldn't hurt me. Eating it could kill me, not drinking it in a tea mixed with lavender and jasmine.

I enjoyed it nonetheless as I stared into the fire, completely stumped as to what to get for them all. I had a total of eight skeletons to buy for. Not to mention Frisk and Flowey, who had just returned home with Toriel, who I had to think of as well. Asgore, Mettaton, Alphys and Undyne. Then there was also Tabitha and Blair, too.

I thought about my parents for the first time in a while. Maybe I could get them something, too? Like a peace offering. I didn't really want to fight them; they were my fucking parents. But at the same time, the thought of my father made my blood boil.

Over the course of the last few weeks, Red had told me little bits of what his Papyrus had told him. Apparently, my father had found him in the corner of some bar in town and had lured him in with the promise of seeing his brother. And not only that, but he had a way for them to go home. Edge had jumped on that the second he'd heard, and it was history from there.

My dad had turned into such an asshole. It made my heart ache while at the same time I wanted to vomit or punch him in the throat. Either option worked for me.

I had an idea what to get for some of the others. Like for Flowey, I'm getting him a cage. He wants to act up? I'll lock him in that bitch faster than his grin can twist his weird flower face. Frisk? I'll get her a special blanket for when she comes over here for another sleepover. She was due for one now that she was hone from whatever Ambassador stuff she was doing. Toriel? Cookbook of desserts. Asgore? Anything dealing with his green thumb. Mettaton would always love an ago boost. Not that he really needed one...

As I was jotting all this down, I heard a noise come from my right. I looked up as Ink came into the room. He closed the door and met my gaze before gasping excitedly and nearly jumping over everything in order to climb on my lap like a kitten. I sighed, moving my notebook and pen off to the side to accommodate him.

“hey, rose! whatcha doin'?” he asked, sliding so he was kneeling in front of you.

I waved my hand at the notebook. He took a glance at it, his eye lights a green question mark and a purple star. It was always one of my favorite things about him, those eye lights. Watching them constantly change form and color was always something that had captivated me. I touched his cheekbone and he turned to face me, both eye lights mismatched hearts.

I smiled at him. “I'm making a Christmas list, darling.”

He tapped just above his nasal cavity. “christmas? isn't that a pagan thing or something? i've seen some humans do it through the other timelines, but never in this one.”

I huffed. “In this timeline, they've been free for ten years. How have you not seen it?”

He shrugged. “they were in the clear, so i didn't bother checking up on them as much.”

Fair enough.

We sat like that in quiet for a while. I stroked his skull and listened to him purr against my leg. He began talking randomly, about some timeline or another, that he had been watching to fill the silence between us. Occasionally he would glance up to make sure I was paying attention. Which, of course I was. I was always willing to listen to whatever stories he had for me about these other timelines. I just felt bad so many of them seemed to be stuck in a never ending loop. Like the dancing one, where Papyrus did the tango and Sans was a hiphop dancer.

I mentally cackled at that one.

About two hours later, the door opened again and Ink paused in his speech about how stupid some of the Sans really were. We both watched as G poked his head in and waved a hand.

“yer turn, ink.”

The skeleton in question groaned. “but i don't wanna! i wanna stay with my tuliiiiip!”

G rolled his eye lights. “hop to it or i'll send edge after you again.”

Ink jumped from his spot then and gave me a chaste kiss on my mouth. “sorry, tulip. duty calls!”

He vanished in a wisp of rainbow smoke as G entered the room further. I couldn't help but laugh as the taller skeleton took a seat in the chair opposite mine. I shook my head and offered him some of the tea before sighing.

“What did Edge do to him?”

“nothing really. only threatened to take that horrendously huge paintbrush away from him and break it if he didn't stop trying to change things in the lab with it.”

I cackled some more. “That thing is his baby. Don't do that to him!”

G held up his hands. “don't say that to me; tell that to edge.”

I shook my head once more and closed up my notebook. This way he couldn't take a peek. G was methodical like that. Ink, I didn't have to worry too much. While he could have a great memory if he wanted to, he was too childlike to remember about the list. And if he did, he wouldn't run off and tell everyone.

...right?

“what's on your mind, angel?”

G's voice cut through my thoughts and I leaned my back against the chair. “I'm just...it was weird. Thanksgiving without my parents. Now Christmas, too. New Years. All the major holidays I'm missing out on because of all this.” When he didn't respond I mentally slapped myself and closed my eyes, groaning. “I'm so not blaming you, by the way. I'm so stressed out and trying to figure some things out in my head – ”

“angel.”

“Not to mention, what do I do for gifts for everyone? How do I get anything to my mom when, last I knew, she's staying with the neighbors. By my dad. And, let's not forget Tabitha and Blair. I still owe them thanks for when they covered mine and Ink's tab the one day we went out...”

“angel.”  
“Then I have you guys doing some sneaky, Mission-Impossible-esque thing downstairs in the lab. Which no one tells me about. Not even Edge. Oh, Edge. He still hate my fucking guts. What did I ever do to that gloomy cocksucker anyway? He needs to get the dick out of his coccyx so I can shove my foot in it. Poor Blue is terrified to go near him...”

My face was suddenly grabbed and pulled up. G's teeth on my mouth silenced me, and I blinked for a moment before shutting my eyes and enjoying the kiss. He didn't try anything sneaky as I placed my hands over his. He moved away and looked down at me, his eye lights switching from one eye to the other.

“why are you so tense?” he murmured. 

“Because I'm a hot mess,” I muttered. 

His hands moved down my face, over my neck and onto my shoulders. His fingertips dug into my shoulder blades and I hissed as he moved them in slow circles. He tusked at me as he worked out the kinks from my shoulders with placid strokes across my back. I let out a small groan and leaned my head on his shoulder. The coolness of his leather coat seeped into my heated skin.

The smell of G washed over me, like a gentle breeze on the ocean. The smell of a rain forest after a cooling rain took over my senses and I sighed in pure bliss. I moved closer, his chuckle sending a shiver down my spine.

“ya alright, angel?” His voice was husky in my ear. It was like there were nails clawing down my back...wait. His fingertips were clawing down my back!

I let out a soft gasp and grabbed onto the soft fabric of his sweater. He let out another low, husky chuckle, a flash of yellow in my peripheral as something wet made its way up my neck. At this point, I felt if I didn't cling to him, I'd manage to fall out of the chair I was almost out of.

“i know why you're so tense, angel,” he whispered. He ran his fingers lovingly through my hair, careful about not getting caught. “have you even been with sans or red recently?”

I nearly gagged on my spit. Holy shit, I was not expecting that. I don't know exactly what I was expecting, but it most definitely wasn't that.

“I...uh, no. Not in the last couple weeks,” I whispered.

His mouth opened and he bit down gently on my neck. I felt my back tense up before he applied more pressure. He moved away and lathed the spot with a couple of licks from that bright yellow tongue and soothed the slight sting of pain. I felt like I was going to explode at any moment and curled against him as well as I could.

“Bedroom,” I managed to gasp out.

“why?”

I heard the telltale sound of a click. I perked up and looked over to the door where the last vestiges of his magic were fading from the lock on the doors. I looked at them for a moment before looking at him with wide eyes. He wore the sexiest fucking smirk I'd seen on him yet, even as his hands trailed up my sides smoothly. The tops of his sockets had lowered and the cracks on his face were a tad more malleable than before.

I swallowed the lump in the back of my throat.

“G, no.”

“g, yes.”

He didn't give me anymore time to protest. His teeth were on my mouth in a heartbeat and I was helpless against him. I clung to the cool leather of his jacket, wrapping my legs around him. The nestled perfectly on the arches his pelvic bone, much like they did with the others. I linked my ankles together as he hoisted me up off the chair, his hands cupping my ass. Even gave it a little squeeze.

He moved us through the library, heavy pants and whines filling the air. I gave small playful nips to his vertebrae, my hand going under his sweater and grabbing onto his rib cage. He sucked in a breath and I landed on a desk. It was in front of a large window that overlooked a part of the forest that I knew none of the other boys frequented. It also was the spot where G had decided to whoop my ass numerous times in the past month or so training me with my magic.

When I looked up at him, there was some magic leaking from his right eye, yellow dripping in small bits from him as he stared down at me. While his grin wasn't feral like Red's, it definitely held me in rapture. I couldn't help but stare at him before he attacked again, crashing his teeth into me.

With how often they did this, something tells me I should have broken teeth.

I opened for him, his hands moving around my back and sliding down to the small of my back, pulling my closer to him. The only thing separating us at this point was just clothes. I could feel every inch of bone moving underneath me as his tongue went to war with mine.

These boys were dominant. G leaned me back until I was laying on the desk below me. He didn't move even as his hands moved over my body slowly, so achingly slow. I arched into him just a little, trying to get some pressure somewhere.

He moved back, his eye lights looking down on me. They flicked over my face before a small smile split his face. “sorry, angel. i've overstepped, haven't i?”

My heart paused its beating for a millisecond. While the thought was very gentlemanly, this motherfucker was not going to start this and not finish it. Truth be told, I had been totally focused on other things. Plus they were dealing with the machine down in the basement. Never once did I think my grouchy ass attitude came from _lack of sex_. Good God, what was wrong with me?

I gripped the collar of his cream turtleneck and pulled him back down to me before he moved too far away. I looked him dead in the face, my upper lip curled up slightly in a sneer. I was not having that, and I don't care where we did it. I was ready for him, and that was that. And by fucking god, if I didn't have him, I was going to blow.

“Don't you fucking dare stop,” I whispered harshly. “Don't come in here acting like that and not finish the job. You overstepped nothing, G.”

He blinked down at me. I must have blindsided him with the way I was talking to him. After he managed to wrap his head around what was going on, he gently pried my hands off of his sweater and slammed them next to my head, my wrists in his punishing grip. I stared up at him wide eyed as his eye lights dimmed out and he looked down on me with a similar grin to what Sans, Red and Ink wore. Just not as wide or big.

“is that so, angel?” he whispered, leaning closer to my ear. The tip of his tongue traced the outside of my ear, gently, but enough to send shivers up my spine. “are you absolutely sure about that? i would be careful, if i were you, precious.”

At this rate, the shivers were turning into quakes. His words were helping to form that tight little coil in the pit of my stomach. I arched against him and let out a small whine as continued tracing his tongue down my ear and over my neck. I hadn't put the collar on today since I've been spending all my time alone in the library. There was an easier access to my neck now, and he took full advantage of that. There was the sound of a soft clack before he bit down on the juncture between my neck and shoulder.

I cried out, arching against him. I struggled against his hands, but my wrists were not moving. My legs wrapped around him again, nudging him closer to my core. My hips were moving of their own accord, which I noticed they seemed to do a lot of.

He chuckled, letting go and laving his tongue over the wound. He nudged my chin up, licking along the bumps in my throat before nipping my collarbones. I let out small gasps and noises, looking above us as I tried my best to free my wrists. He breath was hot on my skin, and I could feel my body responding to him as it did with Red and Sans.

“oh, no, angel,” he murmured. “i've been patiently waiting for you to give me that okay. it has been the most grueling time i've gone through. and i'm going to savor every moment with you.” His eye lights flicked up to me. “am i clear?”

I couldn't speak so I simply nodded. His breath seem to hiss out of his nasal cavity and he moved my shirt up. During the time here, I had gained a little weight, which the doctor had mentioned was healthier for me than my previous weight. But I was still self conscious about it. I refused to look as he stared at me for a moment. His tongue touched the waistline of my pants and I jerked, my eyes heading for his.

He wore a cat-got-in-the-cream grin, before moving up and away from there. His movements were slow, methodical. It was honestly almost too much to bear. He stopped just below my left breast, nipping the bottom of it before completely shredding my shirt.

What was it with these guys and tearing my clothes apart?

With nothing in the way, his hands moved from my wrists and cupped my breasts. I bit my lip with a soft sigh and arched against him. Only encouraged further, he bent down and laved one of my nipples with his tongue. I frantically pushed at his leather jacket, shoving it off of him. He tossed somewhere nearby, and off came his sweater. When his ribs were exposed to me, I gripped tightly, meeting him eye for eye as his gaze shot up to me.

A playful twinkle settled in those eye lights of his before he bit down, hard. There was a searing pain-pleasure that sent shock waves through my body, causing me to scream out. My hands tightened on his ribs and stroked carefully, thoughtfully. As methodical as I thought I could be, he was more calculating that I was, and it definitely showed.

A sudden growl sounded from deep within him, and he pulled back. His hands went to waistband of pajama bottoms and tore them off. Luckily, though, this time it wasn't literally. My panties came off with them. G stood there and stared at my naked body, his eyes roaming over every inch they could before I started moving my hands to cover myself.

He bared his teeth like a rabid animal and growled at me, grabbing my wrists once more. He shook his head. In a voice gentler than his look, he murmured, “you look amazing, angel. i can't wait to have you.” He moved to bite my collarbone again. “i'm gonna bury myself so far inside of you, you're not gonna know what hit you.”

The last sentence sent a shiver of anticipation up my skin and settled lower in my belly. This was usually my sweet skeleton. So where was that sweet skeleton now? I didn't know, nor did I currently care. While one hand caressed my chest, the other was moving down my body at a slow pace, teasing me with feather light touches.

I let out small whimpers and breathy whines. I managed to spread my legs wide for him, and if he hadn't been pinning me where I was, I would been moving closer to him, trying to take what I could. But with these guys? That was never going to happen. They'd let me think I could take what I want. But in reality, I would never be able to take what I wanted without asking their permission.

His fingertip finally found that sweet little nub, giving it a light flick. I whined loudly, writhing underneath him.

“G...”

“don't worry, angel,” he whispered. “you'll get what you want.”

He then pinched my clit, and the coil in my belly unraveled as I screamed his name, my back completely coming off the desk. He grinned, pinning me down with his body as he continued to rub the nub through my orgasm. My legs were trembling from the force, and I took some gasping breaths before he speared through me with two fingers.

I cried out as my walls clamped around him. He grunted, his teeth on my mouth in an instant. My whimpers and cries were lost sounds in his mouth as his tongue tangled with mine. He continued pumping in and out, and soon the sounds of my wetness filled the library. My face turned red as I heard the sound, but he seemed amused. He stopped spearing me for a moment to bring his fingers to his face. His fingers coated in my juices, he locked eyes with me as he stuck them in his mouth.

My face heated more and traveled down my neck to my chest. His eyes remained locked on mine as he opened his mouth enough so I could see his tongue cleaning his fingers. There was that coil tightening in the pit of my belly again. There was a tingle at the base of my spine as he moved his hand and bent down in front me. I blinked before I tried to move up.

G used his magic to pin me down to the desk, moving the chair away from him as he got on his knees in front of me. I couldn't see anything but the ceiling, despite trying to look up and over at him.

His breath puffed on my core and I groaned. “don't think about it.” I felt his smile against my slit. “just feel, precious.”

I didn't have much time to think about what he said before the tingle of his magical tongue flitted over my clit. I cried out, but couldn't do much except lay there. His magic held all of me down. I couldn't even reach for him or anything. My hands were by my head and my legs were spread wide enough I could be doing a split and not even know.

His tongue ran over my clit once more before he sucked it into his mouth. There were a few satisfactory noises from him while I writhed on the desk, squeezing my eyes shut. The tingle at the base of my spine felt unbearable and I could feel that coil winding tighter. After a small nip, he plunged his tongue inside of me.

Holy shit, he had a long tongue.

I clamped around him as I came, his tongue lapping up whatever wetness he could. When I could feel his magic lessening, I looked up to see him looking up at me. His face was flushed with yellow magic and his one eye light was now filled with his magic energy, almost leaking out of the side of his eye socket. His tongue had a mixture of my juices and his saliva as it dangled from his mouth. I used one hand to reach for him.

He stood, his pants strained a little as he swiftly undid his pants and shucked them. He wasn't built like Sans or Red. He wasn't as girthy, but he was definitely longer, and I swallowed thickly as my hand touched it. I was able to finally sit up and I moved so I could lick the tip. It jumped in my hand before I took it my mouth.

He hissed above, his hands burying themselves in my hair. He tugged roughly before his hips moved of their own accord. He fucked my throat like that, using my hair to hold me in place on my hands and knees in front of him. Little dribbles of spit and such spilled from the sides of my mouth as he pulled himself out, giving me a grin of his own.

He pulled to the edge of the desk, the same “come hither” motion as the other two. My soul danced out with a swift tug, his coming out at the same time. They were resonating brightly, instantly drawn to each other as he moved me to turn and bend over the desk. With the combination of my juices and joint spit, he managed to slam home easily, my hips bucking into the edge of the desk.

He leaned over as he continued drilling me into the desk. His hand found my hair again and he yanked back on it, making me stare out the window. A dark chuckled escaped his throat.

“so i wasn't wrong,” he whispered thickly in my ear. “you like it a little rough, don't you, my angel?”

I could only cry out and he gave another slam home, sending my cervix into my stomach. I watched from the corner of my eye as he brought our souls to rest in front of me, watching as they danced and swirled together in their own rhythm. 

He continued pounding me into the desk, his hand tugging my hair so I watched our souls together. It was an intimate act to them, and him showing me this was some kind of kink to him. Fine by me. The way he was fucking me could make a girl lose her mind.

The coil in my stomach seemed so tight it was going to burst, but I knew what it was waiting for. What my body was waiting for. I couldn't never cum with their dicks inside of me unless they said otherwise. I never knew why it was like that, but it was fine by me, even though G didn't seem too keen on telling me anytime soon.

“G...I'm so close...baby...”

“mm, angel, what's wrong?” he whispered. “i still got a trick to show ya.”

With the pad of his thumb, he stroked over my soul. So light it was like a feather. I screamed as a powerful surge of lust and desire flooded my system, the sounds of my wetness filling the room further. He slammed harder, tugged on my hair with more force as he did it once more, and the coil came undone and I screamed through my release, clamping down on his cock.

He came with me, our souls merging in front of my eyes. The light was bright, and it seemed almost blinding as he held me in place. I could vaguely see pieces of my soul going to his and vice versa. It was almost too much to bear as we came down together. He moved our souls to their respective sternums before inserting them back where they belonged.

He pulled out and I instantly felt empty. When I went to move, my legs gave out. He swept underneath me, catching me before I hit the ground and chuckled.

“let's go get you cleaned up before dinner,” he murmured. He kissed the top of my head then the tip of my nose. “you did good, angel.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> UGH. It's almost 4 in the morning where I live and I cranked out this chapter over the course of the last few days. Why am I even awake? Easy, **insomnia is a fucking bitch**.
> 
> Enjoy, beauties.


	30. Dancing Through The Snow

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> G decided it's our turn for a date.
> 
> And the boys have a private conversation.

Christmas was right around the corner and Papyrus insisted on doing it the human way. He bought one of those huge trees and stuffed it in the living room. Ink had gotten a little excited and spent the night drawing out what it could have looked like with the right ornaments and such. This had gotten both Blue and Papyrus excited, and they had dragged Sans and Stretch with them to go shopping. Ink had tagged along to see what would be better suited for the tree.

I had simply stared after them in wonder. That whole ordeal had taken maybe half an hour tops, and I was worried that Sans and Stretch were in for the long haul. I shrugged it off and sat on the couch, turning the TV on to some channel. Edge was in the same room with me, sitting in smoker's corner, puffing on some kind of sweet smelling cigar. Red was somewhere in the house, probably trying to find food in the kitchen to snack on while the boys were all out. G was downstairs fiddling with the machine.

“ugh. they ain't got nothin' in there t' snack on,” Red grumbled, appearing beside me. He plopped on the couch and laid his head on my shoulder.

I absently kissed the top of his skull while flipping through channels. Everything playing was some form of Christmas garbage. I had never really enjoyed Christmas music or movies. Sure, maybe some of the older ones like Rudolph or something, but not the cheesy love movies on Hallmark or Lifetime. My mother used to watch them while eating cookies and binge eating ice cream. I had watched one of those and went to my room and gagged.

Gross.

Plus, why listen to Christmas music when you had Bon Jovi? 

I grumbled something under my breath and left it on a random science channel for the nerd beside me. “It's because Papyrus and Blue both believe that snacks will make you fat.”

“I HAPPEN TO AGREE WITH BOTH VERSIONS OF ME,” Edge said nonchalantly from his seat across the room. “TAKE THIS SLOB FOR EXAMPLE.”

Red peeked one eye over, a mischievous smile on his face. “awh, paps, i'm not fat. 'm just...big-boned.”

I groaned and slapped a hand over my face while Edge screamed at him. He busted into cackles beside me, holding his stomach while mocking his brother. He continued with the puns until G came up, looking mildly frustrated and glared at Red from behind a pair of glasses.

“your turn. you can figure out where all those fuckin' pieces go,” he complained, sitting o my other side. I blinked in shock. It was weird to hear him curse. “i'm not dealin' with the machine anymore.”

Red quieted and looked down at the ground. His face looked drawn almost, like he was pained he had to even consider going down there. No one said anything as he stood up and begrudgingly went to the door of the basement. He turned to look at me with a look on his face I'd never seen before.

Utter terror.

He finally went downstairs, the door clicking shut behind him softly. I looked over at G, but he only shook his head and watched the TV. I huffed silently, but watched the TV, wrapping my coat around me. Even though my birthday was long past, it still held the smell of G.

After half an hour of crappy television, G had seemed to have enough and groaned, getting up from his seat and taking me with him. I gave him a questioning glance before he sent me a wink and walked with me upstairs. We stopped by his room for a moment, where brought out his own jacket and had put on his boots. Those useless suspender straps were back in their places. We left his room before I could get a good look at it and went to my room.

Without a word, he dug through my clothes, pulling out random articles of clothing before shaking his head and putting it back. I stood dumbfounded at my bedroom door watching him do all this before I finally spoke up.

“What are you doing?”

“we're going out,” he grumbled. “i'm in a mood, and i don't want to be in it. so we're going to go out and have fun.”

I didn't want to question him on why he was in such a bad mood. Ever since they'd all started working on that machine, each one of them had been losing their resolves and tempers more and more. G and Red seemed to be affected the most, but maybe that was because I'd already soul bonded with them. Ink had been keeping his distance while working on the machine. The one time I'd caught him, he looked sick and spit up black ink everywhere again, like he had the second day I'd been here.

Stretch usually was laid back, but I could see how tense he had been. It was breaking me apart that there was something wrong with them, but they wouldn't tell me what. They just shrugged it off or did something else that would distract me. It was leaving me feeling useless. 

G stopped what he was doing and came over to me, cupping my cheeks in his hands. I could feel the chilly air still where the holes in his hands were. I placed one of my hands on his and lowered my eyes before looking up at him through my lashes. He wore an easy smile, his thumbs stroking just under my eyes.

“we'll take care of everything, angel,” he whispered. “just trust us, okay?” At my nod, he pulled me close enough to give me a peck on the top of my head. “go get dressed. dress warm, alright? i'll be downstairs waiting for you.”

He brushed past me, leaving me to get dressed and alone with my thoughts. I trudged my way to the dresser and pulled out a pair of jeans and a sweater, clasping on a bra before fully dressing. I grabbed my bracelet and clasped that on before making sure my collar was still in place. I ran a brush through my hair before I put on the barest amount of makeup and making my way out to the stairs.

Stretch was just coming out of his room as I passed. He whistled low and snagged my arm, spinning me around and pulling me to him. I laughed, smacking his shoulder as he leaned down to kiss me, his tongue running over my bottom lip. I chuckled as he released me, spinning me back around once more.

I kept a hold of his hand. “Well, that was impressive.”

He winked. “ya going out with g tonight?”

I nodded. “I guess he's in a mood and wanted to take me out anyway.”

“sounds good. Stay safe, honey. wouldn't want anythin' happening.” He gave me another wink, and my face heated up.

They all knew about the library and have constantly ragged on me about it. While I knew it was in good fun, they loved going above and beyond knowing that I had a bit of exhibitionist side to myself. I mostly just hid myself behind my hands or something. But I could only laugh with them as they began spouting out the puns.

It was terrible.

“Fuck off,” I laughed, turning away.

“i'd rather fuck on, honey!” he called after my retreating back.

I simply laughed as I made my way down the stairs.

G stood there, hands in his pockets. I grabbed my own coat off the back of the couch where I had left it and grabbed my boots, sliding them on before slipping my coat on. As an after thought, I gasped and smiled, holding my hand up. I ran back up the stairs and back into my room, digging around in my stuff before I found what I was looking for. When I came back down, Papyrus and Blue squealed with joy as I showed off the gloves and the scarf.

“IT LOOKS FANTASTIC ON YOU, HUMAN!” Papyrus praised. “I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS, KNEW YOU WOULD LOVE THEM WHILE HE WAS MAKING THEM.” He held his own scarf between his mitten clad hands. “NOW WE CAN MATCH!”

While Blue looked a little sad, I came over and kissed both of their skulls. Papyrus had to literally bend at the waist so I could do so. Being short was such a pain in the ass.

“I love it, guys, thank you. And don't worry, Blue,” I said, turning to the sad skeleton. “I'll be wearing your boots with an outfit for Christmas. I have the perfect thing!”

He brightened once more and wrapped his arms around me before G cleared his throat. I gave one final goodbye, even earning a grunt from Edge, who had watched the entire exchange with curiosity. I ran over to G, who hooked his arm around my shoulder and led me out into the chilly air.

Snow swirled around us like a white curtain. It wasn't bad out, just a little drizzle of the stuff from the sky. It was still sticking to the ground and the way G was looking at it made me curious. Maybe this was my chance to actually learn about the more mysterious of my boys. I knew so much about all the rest of them, but he was the one I knew next to nothing about.

And even then, I was ready for him. A part of me knew he would come to me about his life at some point. He had been busy with other things, like the machine and keeping Ink and Red away from each other at one point after the whole chip incident. Plus, teaching you how to use and control your magic was work in and of itself.

Now that I had a grip how to use it, it was a matter of trying to control it when you got too emotional. In my dreams with Error, it was easy to summon because I was usually angry or scared. And usually it was because I was getting tired of his shit. I didn't understand how Ink could have put up with him all these years. Honestly, it made me wonder just how old all of them were.

We made our way through the snow covered street. There were kids out, getting ready to head home as the streetlights began turning on above our heads. I snuggled close to G, my breath fogging up in front of me. It was weird seeing nothing of the sort with G, reminding you though they snored and their chests rose and fell when they slept, they didn't actually need to sleep.

We made our way into town and we passed by Grillby's and Muffet's. Though Muffet's was closed, Grillby's was open, and we passed by without a second glance. I looked up at him curiously, but neither of us made a comment as we went further into the city. Not too far from there, I saw a nightclub that had opened around the same time as the other boys here.

It was still busy as it was new and the only nightclub around, people lining up outside the door. The bouncer was a seahorse with a human torso, his arms folding over its chest. Any time he caught the eyes of a woman, he would wink and flex his incredible muscles. It was kinda strange watching the girls all fawn over how he was so beastly.

He was half of a seahorse, for fuck's sake.

Who was I to talk though? I was having sex with skeletons.

We made it to the door, but we didn't bother going to the back like I had figured. G stopped me with a hand on my arm and he clapped the seahorse man on the shoulder.

“aaron, great job keeping everything going smooth,” G said as the monster turned to face him.

Aaron grinned and winked. “Not a problem, dude.” His eyes found me. “Ah, you must be Jewel.” He flexed once more at me, and I chuckled. “Name's Aaron. I'm the bouncer here. G helped build the place up; so you guys are welcome to walk in any time, alright?”

I blinked between the two of them, nodding. “Yeah...sure.”

G laughed and led me inside. I felt the glares and stares of all the people waiting in the line as we went in, but I could only stare in wonder at the dance floor in front of me.

The place was huge, with two floors. There was a bar on one side of the building and DJ booth on the other far end across from there. Waiters and waitresses were making their rounds, laughing with the patrons and weaving gracefully between moving bodies. There seemed to be a party up on the second floor of the building, with a lot of people moving around and having an all around good time up there.

He gently tugged me along, heading to a booth toward the far end of the place. He kept a firm grip on me while we moved around people. A lot of people called out his name and waved, catcalling when they saw he was with me. It made me turn red and laugh as he sat me at the little round table. He sighed and pulled me close, pressing a kiss to my hair.

“what do you think?” he asked, waving his hand around. “mettaton's brother, nabstablook, is the dj here.”

“It's amazing!” I managed to shout over the music. “I didn't even know he had a brother!”

G nodded absently as a woman came over, setting down some napkins and held a pad and pen ready.

“Hey, G,” she chirped. She looked at you, then blinked a few times. “Jewel?”

I recognized her from school. She had been an old friend before the monsters, and was one of the first to abandon me. I shrunk in my seat and buried myself closer to G. I didn't break eye contact, but the sting of betrayal was painful. She'd been my first best friend, and the first traitor. The memory still hurt.

“Hey, Terra.” I waved half heartedly.

For a second, no one moved until G cleared his throat. He rattled off something he knew we would both like, along with a drink order for the both of us. While he ordered, her eyes kept coming back to me, but I ignored her. I just played with the patch on G's jacket, while his thumb stroked my hip. I knew he was trying to comfort me, and I knew there would be questions. But this was my time to get to know this asshole.

His could wait.

She ran off with the order. G looked down at me and I sighed.

“She was a childhood friend of mine,” I murmured, still loud enough for him to hear. “After...after the monsters here came to the surface and my parents started all their shit, she was the first one to leave. She was my first best friend. I told her everything.”

Through the link in our bond, I could feel his anger rising with every word I spoke. I placed my hand in his, squeezing his phalanges and nuzzling his cheekbone. I didn't say anything else, but I held him that way anyway because I knew if I didn't, he'd blow a fuse.

When Terra came back with the drinks, he sent her a cold look. She looked at me and I shrugged, settling further into my skeleboy. She didn't say anything, but shook her head at me and went on her way, heading to the next table. I took his drink and handed it to him before taking a sip of mine. He had ordered me something called sex on the beach. It was s fruity drink, in my opinion, and I continued drinking it.

He laughed and set his drink down before taking mine away from me. When I whined at him about it, he shook his head at me. “that stuff will sneak up on ya, angel.”

I was pouting, but he leaned down and placed his mouth on mine, giving me a slow, languid kiss. I smiled into the kiss and lifted myself up a little more, letting him gain access into my mouth. There was a puff of air from him in a short chuckle before the tingle of his magic tickled my bottom lip.

He finally pulled away from me and placed a chaste kiss on my cheek. We sat there idly talking about the business and how it worked with him a silent partner when our food arrived. He had ordered an appetizer sampler, giving us a little thing of each. Terra clattered the plate on the table, marching away. I could almost see the cartoon like smoke coming from her ears.

I gave a smile to her back before turning and attacking the mozzarella sticks. The gooey cheese was perfect for me, and G went for the mini quesadilla slice. He got a decent amount of sour scream on there and ate it, rubbing his fingers on the napkin. He nodded before hitting the spinach and artichoke dip.

“So, G...”

“yes, angel?”

“What about where you're from? I know about the others. Even Ink told me about where he was from. I've heard it from everyone...but you.” I messed with the straw in my drink before taking a sip. “I figured you would tell me on your own since you've been busy.”

He messed with his own drink and leaned back. He seemed troubled, as if he was debating on telling you or not. You gripped your glass in your hand. He finally sighed and leaned close to your ear.

“not tonight,” he whispered. “tonight is for fun; not for sad tales.”

I gave him a sideways glance but he was pulled away and drinking his stuff again. I took the last gulp of mine and stayed strong. If he said tomorrow, then tomorrow it was. I wasn't letting him get out of this.

The next hour was spent drinking and nibbling on the appetizers. I watched as Nabstablook came out for a moment to say hello to G. When he introduced himself to me, he was insanely and sweetly shy. I had cooed and given the ghost monster a hug. If he had a spine, I would have snapped him in half. 

At one point, G had dragged me laughing into the crowd. People made way for us as we made our way through the throng of people and started dancing to the rhythm around us. It was upbeat, happy, and he took my hands in his as we danced. He was all smiles and grins, his eye lights never once leaving me. He spun me in circles and dipped me. He would kiss me and get more catcalls, making my face go red in a fierce blush.

The way he moved was impressive and I couldn't help but wonder where he'd learned to do so. The way he moved his hips, the way his feet managed to go through the motions without missing a beat. It was amazing.

It was the most fun I'd seen him have in months.

On the last song, he pulled me close to him and I clung to his jacket as he kissed me, laughing in between the little pecks. I couldn't help but laugh back, my fingers digging into the soft leather. I knew after tonight, the magic would fade again for a little while until the next skeleboy wanted me to go out with them on a date.

He took me back to the table and sat me down. A new set of drinks were set on the table, along with the check. G looked slightly put off, almost angered. But I shook my head and told him to let it go. She was just being her classic self.

By the time we left, it was almost three in the morning. We left and Aaron clapped G on the back and gave me a hearty hug. We ambled through the streets, with me slightly drunk and him acting like he hadn't had a spot to drink. It was so unfair.

He held me to him and kept trying to shush me as we moved through the quiet streets. I stumbled along with him, giggling out random things that came to my mind. He'd only chuckle and shake his head at me.

When we got to the house, I was shocked to see that none of the boys had gone to bed. Instead, like they always did when I went out with one of the others, they were all waiting for me on the porch. G lit up a cigarette as we came up the walkway. All of their heads turned in our direction and I waved to them, almost tripping over my own two feet.

Red was by my side in a flash, Ink right beside him. They each took an arm and helped me up to the house, listening to me ramble about how amazing of a dancer G was and how I sucked at pretty much anything I did. They only rolled their eye lights as we disappeared into the house and into my room.

**

Sans and Stretch stayed with G outside, watching the smoke from their cigarettes float into the air. The snow still came down, but much less than before. The ground was covered, and the trees around them were either barren or had little patches of snow on them.

G couldn't help but wonder if he should really tell her his story. She had a right to know, but he didn't think she would look at him the same. He was still frustrated at Classic for not telling her about the machine and how it messed up. Looking for someone in the Void is dangerous business, they all knew that.

So what had possessed him to do such a thing? Once the Void claimed you, that was it. You were gone, and there was nothing left of you to bring back. And if there was, you were now part of it. It wouldn't let anything go without basically getting rid of the matter entirely.

“did ya tell her?” Stretch asked, leaning against the house as Red and Ink came out. “we all know ya wanted to.”

“no, i didn't.” He shook his head. “i'm leaving that for classic over here. it's his fuck up; he can clean it up, too.”

Classic rolled his eyes and shuffled off to the side as Red lit up, too. They all stood out there, watching the snow fall around them.

“we don't wanna go home,” Ink said suddenly.

“true,” Red murmured.

“that's why we switched the polarities,” Classic said. “maybe it'll work. maybe it won't. we don't know yet.”

“it better.” G glanced at him from the side of his cracked face. “for your sake, it better.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WOO! Thirty chapters! But now, it's time for shit to get real.
> 
> I'm working on a new Undertale story, so give me a few days and it'll be up. The new story, like this one, will be in first person because I cannot do second person for the freaking life of me.
> 
> Love ya'll!


	31. Nightmare for the Damned

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> G tells me his story.
> 
> I have to worst nightmare in the history of nightmares.
> 
> And, waking up is good, right?

The next day, it was like G was trying to avoid me. When I had awoken, Ink was sprawled out in the bed, his head hanging off the side of the bed. His hand was still clutching his paintbrush and I couldn't have helped but laugh. When everyone was at breakfast, I asked where G was.

They all exchanged glances and Red quietly told me he was down in the basement working on the machine. I let out a breath through my nose before I continued eating the food Edge had made. While it seemed Papyrus and Blue didn't have a lot of culinary skill, it looked like Edge most definitely did. Plus, he liked using healthier things. The eggs were found at an organic farm and the bacon didn't have a lot of fat on it.

It was actually really impressive.

After breakfast, I put my plate in the kitchen sink, making my way of the rooms and going for the basement door. But after a few unsuccessful tugs, I came to the conclusion the bastard had locked me out. My anger was growing to huge proportions, and I couldn't help but punch the wall beside me. The others didn't even watch, just minding their own business.

I stuck myself in my room, refusing to leave even for food. Papyrus brought me a book he recommended and some tea again. I couldn't be mad at the gentle monster so I gave him a hug and thanked him. He had set me up once more. He had bought me my own personal set for days like this, much like an early Christmas gift he said. But he wouldn't tell me what I had actually gotten for Christmas.

The day wore on, and there was still nothing from G. I had tried texting him a few times, but he never answered back. When my temper calmed, I had tried thinking of something else. Maybe he had fallen asleep down there. These boys could sleep like the dead, but they were also easy to wake. Maybe he was just extra focused on that machine down there.

Even though it only seemed to be pissing them all off.

Even sweet little Ink always came back up ready to blow a fuse.

By the early evening, I put down my book, glancing at my phone. Still nothing. I didn't know whether to be upset or to just ignore it. They all often did this. None of them liked talking about their past. Even Sans, who went totally in depth about the stuff that went on Underground. I just assumed that had been all of them. But it wasn't with Ink. And something told me it wasn't the same with G, either. Something about his demeanor about the way things happened up here seemed...off.

The door suddenly slammed open and I screamed, clapping a hand over my mouth. G stood there, looking panicked as his eye lights traveled the room. When they landed on me, I only blinked, lowering my hand as his shoulders slumped.

He looked tired. Somehow, the space under his eye sockets looked darker, like there were bags there. A pair of glasses were attached to the front of his wool sweater, loosely hanging there. His clothes were all askew, and it looked like he had literally just woken up.

“sorry, angel,” he breathed, plopping on my bed. “i didn't mean to fall asleep like that.” He scrubbed a bony hand down his face, careful to avoid the cracks with the holes in his hands. “i was working on the machine and i couldn't figure something out. so i took a nap...”

“How long was the nap?” I asked.

“like, twelve hours?”

If I had been drinking my tea, I'd have done a spit take. “G, twelve hours?” I asked incredulously. “Are you not sleeping well again?”

While I loved my boys, there were a few occasions where they would avoid sleep to avoid the nightmares. It drove me insane. I would offer to sleep with them when those spells hit, but they brushed it off and said they would be fine. Until Red almost got himself stuck somewhere from trying to teleport. How he ended up almost totally stuck in the wall is beyond me.

I patted the bed closer to me and he shifted, moving on the bed and coming closer. He wrapped his arms around me and buried his face in my neck, breathing in my scent. I stroked his skull and sighed, giving it a small kiss.

“right. so. my story.”

He took in a deep breath through his nasal cavity before leaning against my headboard. His back was straight, and his eye lights were dimming out. Like the equivalent of spacing out. I took his hand in mine and he brought me close. He sat me between his legs, his knees coming up so they could block me in on either side while he wrapped his arms around my shoulders and let them hang in front of us. I kept a hold of his hand.

“let me start by saying, i'm surprised you felt ready with me before you did ink or stretch,” he commented lowly. “cause, while i am sans, i'm also someone else.”

I wanted to turn around and face him, but I couldn't. That's when I noted that's why he had us seated like this. He didn't want to face me, or he didn't want me to see him get emotional. It was always one of the two with these boys.

“frisk didn't just 'fall down' in my timeline,” he murmured softly. “she fell down on purpose, knowing full well she could have died from the fall.”

“But why?” I managed to choke out.

“because she wanted to save us,” he said simply. I couldn't help but smile. Frisk will be Frisk. “she pushed herself through all the way to meeting toriel before she was brought to hotland. to the lab.” He snorted. “she willingly let herself be dragged around by a goat. i'll give her kudos on it.”

He shifted behind me. “this's where it's gonna get weird, so bear with me.” I grunted to let him know I heard. “sans was brought in to try and get her to talk. and, like every other timeline, it worked. they built such an unbreakable bond...and then that's when gaster came in.

“he watched as they built this relationship and decided to use sans to get frisk to rid herself of the determination. the first machine, the dt extractor, had been failing thus far, but gaster saw something within her. and he wanted for himself.” He nearly spat the words, his fingers twitching. “the bastard was always fuckin' greedy.

“after sans and frisk had really gotten tough with their relationship, that's when gaster struck. he used sans's friendship with her to do most of the dirty work. when she agreed, there was still uncertainly, and it drove sans to try and dissuade gaster. but to no avail. they went on as planned.”

His voice was shaking, and I gripped his hands in mine to try and stop the rattling of his bones. He seemed to be getting more emotional the more he talked, and I was trying desperately to turn and face him. The memories could be too much sometimes, I knew that. But just what was he trying to say?

“something...something went wrong,” he choked out. “something went wrong and when gaster went to try and fix it, it blew. pieces of metal flying everywhere, along with raw determination. i'm gonna give you a lesson, angel. do you know what happens to monsters who are exposed to that much determination?”

I shook my head.

“it ends bad, we'll put it that way.” He sucked his teeth. “in this particular case, as sans tried to save...him, the determination and the energy from the explosion...fused the two together.”

His knees relaxed finally and I swiveled to face him, shock on my face. He wasn't looking at me. He refused to look at me. Was he trying to tell me what I thought or was I just imagining things?

“So that means...”

“yup. i am a combination of both sans and gaster.” He held up a finger. “but, unlike the frisk here, she never freed us. she didn't like human kind at all, and stayed with us, even though i wasn't the same skeleton anymore. she's an older version of the one in almost any other timeline.”

The name Gaster pricked at my memory. I moved away from him, earning me a whine and him grabbing at air to get me again. I held up a finger as I dug through my nightstand drawers until I pulled out the book Blue had gotten for me.

I had done the review and tit had been an instant hit. People from all over the world were now raving about this book, and were recommending for people who truly wanted to feel how the monsters did for all those years.

I handed the book off to him. “You mean...the same Gaster as this one?”

“what?” He snagged the book from me and his eye lights skimmed the cover. If his bones could have gone whiter, they would have in that moment. “that's not possible. Sans tried to...”

He cut himself off quick. Too quick.

“Sans what?”

“not right now.” He looked at the time. “i think it's Red's turn with you tonight.” He leaned over and kissed my forehead. “goodnight, angel.”

I glared at his back as he left, taking my book with him. These boys were being fucking secretive, and I didn't like it one bit. I crawled into bed though with a yawn, letting my head hit the pillow hard. Red came in then, his eye sockets wide as he shut the door behind him.

“what was his problem?” he grumbled, shedding his hoodie and shoes. “he looked like someone lit a fire under his coccyx.”

I cackled. “Nah, it's nothing.” You patted the bed beside you. “Come cuddle me. I'm lonely.”

His face lit up. “fine by me, sweetheart.”

Snuggled up against my most aggressive skeleboy, I watched the moon rise in the sky as I drifted off to sleep.

**

This version of Snowdin wasn't one I had ever seen before. There were actually monsters living here. They milled about, walking through the snow with glee on their faces. Bunny, the monster you recognized from her shop, hoped around, opening her shop she had down there. Grillby's bar was open, front and center. When I peeked in, Sans wasn't to be seen.

I ran off, heading into the direction of the sentry station he'd told me about. It was in the random clearing, right before that large archway where Frisk had first met him. I ran with all my might, my feet frozen from the snow. I didn't know why dream me never wore shoes, but we were gonna have to talk about that. I could get frostbite from this shit.

I ended up having to move around traps and tiptoeing my way to that sentry station. To that lamp that oddly resembled something similar to a human shape. To that silly archway Papyrus built to try and throw off humans.

Speaking of, Papyrus was up ahead, yelling about something. Sans often mentioned that Papyrus was yelling at him at the beginning of those resets. And my heart shrank in my chest as I moved around.

Sans wasn't paying his brother any mind, staring listlessly off into space in the forest beside his station. His fingertips kept tracing something on the top of the wood, but he didn't look in your direction at all as a wave of tears poured down his face.

“Sans!” I called out to him. “Sans, I'm right here!”

Papyrus left, and neither of them heard me. When Papyrus was far enough away, past me, my skeleton let out an aching wail straight from the soul. When he looked up, he looked straight at the sky, those blue tears rolling down his cheeks.

“princess, i'm sorry. come back, come back...”

Just as I opened my mouth to shout at him that I was right there, the scenery changed around me. When it finally stopped, I was in the same place, just about. Instead of something easy and nice, the hairs on the back of neck stood on end. I was still by a sentry station, but it was run down and beat to shit. Not to mention the soft blue I had been under had changed to a dark red. Which only meant one thing.

I was in Red's universe.

I turned on my heel and ran through the way I came. I screamed as a bear trap snapped off by my heel, just missing me by an inch. My heart rose to my throat as the words “kill or be killed” flew through my head. I felt bile rise in my throat as I moved around it and continued sprinting, more mindful of where I was going.

When I got to the welcome sign in Snowdin, it was definitely as Red had put it. The “welcome to” was scratched out with a horrendous red color and replaced with “get out of”. Underneath that in smaller writing, but still big enough to be seen was “you're not fucking welcome!”.

Harsh.

I made my way through anyone. Much like the original's timeline, no one noticed me here. I paid careful mind to the ground, watching for traps as I came up to a familiar looking house. I heard pounding from around the back. A constant hitting of something. I ran my way around the house and saw Edge kicking the door to a shed.

He was screaming something I couldn't make out. But I did make out that he called Red Sans instead, and I ran to the window of the shed. I pulled myself up, using my tiptoes and peered inside. I saw him sitting there, his claws digging into his hoodie, my collar gripped in his fist. Thick red tears rolled down his cheeks as he sobbed quietly. Edge continued kicking while he cried.

“'m so sorry, sweetheart. 'm so sorry i didn't protect ya...”

Again, I couldn't say anything as I was taken somewhere else.

This time, I wasn't assailed by the cold, but it was pouring rain. I shook it off and tried thinking back on everything the boys talked about. If it was raining instead of snowing, that meant things were turned around. Which could only mean that this was Stretch's universe. Which also meant there wasn't a Grillby's, but a Muffet's.

I charged around the corner, almost running head first into Blue. He didn't even seem to remember you, much like Edge hadn't. He seemed upset as he came around the corner, mumbling to himself about why “Papyrus” was spending so much time at that filthy bar lately. I went to Muffet's but I didn't find him. I stood under the awning of the bar and tried thinking really hard. Stretch hadn't made mention of much else, but he did let slip he liked to be alone in Waterfall sometimes, just to watch the water.

I charged in that direction, trying to mind where I was going. I loved little Blue, but he did mention he liked making silly traps everywhere. So long as the other monsters agreed and they knew where they were at so they didn't get dusted.

Right as I thought, Stretch was by the Waterfall, his head in his hands and smoke drifting toward the ceiling. There were bottles of monster alcohol beside him and the place reeked of it. I moved closer and noticed he was sobbing just like the other two, his shoulders shaking with the effort to cry any louder than he was.

“poor honey...i'm so sorry...forgive me...forgive us...”

There we go, changing surroundings again.

I was still in Waterfall, but I was surrounded by those echo flowers. I dared not to make a peep, just in case they could actually pick up my voice. I looked around and saw G sitting among the flowers, a girl with shoulder blade length brown hair. While G cried quietly and looked at the crystals in the ceiling, the girl murmured something to him.

“i had hoped. i had hoped so strong, and now she's gone. my angel is fuckin' gone...”

The scene changed once more, this time going to a very weird place. I didn't recognize it. The entire place looked like aged parchment paper. I glanced around before pieces of paper began to appear, hanging in the air. This was Ink's world. This was his place.

I glanced around desperately for him, catching him the center, sitting in an island like place. He had a picture of you and him in his hands, rainbow tears rolling down his face. His eye lights were unusual still, but he blinked, and his face evened out. He even looked confused as he touched the tears on his face with a slow hand.

“why am i crying?” he murmured before glancing at the picture. “and who is this?”

As that last sentence pierced my heart, the world fell away, and as I tried to call out that it was me, the dream edged to a close around me.

**

I shot up from bed, a cold sweat seeping from my clothes. Red shot up with me, his eyes looking around blearily before regarding me. I was looking at my hands, watching as they shook in the moonlight above. I couldn't get any of that out of my brain. I didn't even realize I was crying until Red came over and gathered me close to him.

While I didn't like coming off as weak, at this moment. I needed the connection. His embrace was warm and comforting, but it wasn't the only one I needed. And he knew that. I didn't care if he liked it or not, but I need all of my boys after watching them all like that. Thinking back on it made my chest cramp and my soul feel like it was going to break.

He didn't say a word as the others came diving into the room, almost collapsing on the ground in a giant pile. One by one, they all scrambled for the bed, surrounding me. I still clung to Red, though, my fingers digging into his shirt. My tears hadn't stopped once, my sobs filling the room as they surrounded me.

I didn't know how long it was like that. Just surrounded in a pile of my boys. At some intervals, I let go of one skeleton and went to the next, clinging to them. The smell of them was enough to set my soul at ease, but the rest of me was still clamoring to get out of the nightmare. I didn't want to go back to sleep.

But that wasn't what the rest of them thought.

Concern was beginning to show on their features, but I couldn't bring myself to lay down and go back to sleep. So they attacked me with puns. I eventually crawled under my covers in defeat, scared to watch them leave my room.

They must have picked up on something because they all managed to squeeze in on the bed. G and Stretch laid by my feet in opposite directions. Ink was curled up beside Red, snoring softly. Red was in his spot still, and Sans was on my other side, running his phalanges through my hair.

I looked at Red. “Sorry,” I managed to choke out.

His claws stroked my cheek. “it's alright, sweetheart. i don't mind. you need us.”

As he spoke his words, I once again was taken under into sleep. This time, though, it was dreamless. I don't know how long I was asleep this time, but when I woke up, most of the boys had gone off, leaving me alone with Stretch, who was curled up against my back. I didn't move a muscle, looking out the window.

It had to at least be late morning, if not early afternoon. The sun was peeking over the trees, trying to climb the mountains. I ran my hand over the bone of Stretch's, reveling in the warmth he gave off. He muttered something, curling tighter around me as he burrowed himself in my back. I closed my eyes again, letting a breath out through my nose.

“mornin', honey.”

His sleep husked voice sent delicious shivers down my back. I pressed my back into him and wiggled a little, which earned me a grunt.

“honey, don't you start,” he groaned. “i'm not sportin' an erection all day cause you wanna tease like a little brat.”

I paused for a moment and went over my options. I could mercilessly tease him, knowing he wouldn't overstep bounds, and then run away. Or I could give him what he wanted. It was tempting to just run away, but I knew if I did that, it would hurt him. And in the end, it would hurt me.

I wanted him just as much as I wanted the others.

I wiggled my bottom again and gasped as his phalanges dug into my hip. I could feel the small hum in the room as his magic exploded around us. I heard the lock click in place before he buried his face into my neck.

I was given no warning as he bit down. I arched against him, but was held firm but the arm locked around my waist. He didn't let up until he let go, laving the spot with his tongue. The spark of magic against my skin was warm, tingly.

I always loved the way their magic felt against my skin. It always felt so amazing, and it felt just perfect.

He moved us so he was looming over me, his grin easy as his eye sockets lowered.

“so ya really wanna have a great time, huh, honey?” He leaned close and ran his tongue over my bottom lip. “then that's exactly what i'll give ya.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guh, help. I've been on a writing spree and can't stop. My sleep schedule is so damn **_screwed_**.
> 
> If you haven't yet, check out my new work, You'll Be Mine. I'm still working on the second chapter, but I'm doing my bestest for ya'll! 
> 
> Hope you enjoyed!


	32. Choices*

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Stretch and I do the dirty.
> 
> And the boys all find a shocking revelation.

His teeth didn't come to my mouth. Instead, he took off that orange hoodie, revealing a plain black tee shirt underneath. He threw it off to the side somewhere and then shed his shirt. His torso was much like G's, and his ribs were beat to hell like Sans and Red. I was ripped from my findings as I heard fabric rip.

He was ripping his shirt up.

He tore off a couple pieces before, looking down at me, his white eye lights twinkling in the light of my room. He came down on me again, slinking forward like a cat stretching. I forgot about the strands of shirt as his teeth gently landed on my mouth, opening myself up to him. Before I had realized what happened, my hands were tied.

Like, literally tied.

I tugged on them, but it didn't give much leeway. Instead, it just clattered the headboard against the wall. I looked down at him and he winked, the other strap of cloth in his other hand. Then his expression turned serious, and his eye lights moved over my face.

“do you trust me, honey?”

I didn't even have to think about it; I nodded. “One hundred percent, Stretch.”

He smiled down at me, something so gentle it tugged at my soul. “lift your head, honey.”

I did as told and he put the cloth over my eyes. He made sure to move my hair as he tied it as tight as it would go. My vision was black; I could see nothing except the dim light in the back. I saw his shadow move over me and there was more rustling before he leaned down and pressed a kiss to my lips.

“i read, once, that humans are very dependent on their five sense,” his murmured, his voice husky. “i've also read that you can enhance pleasure from cutting off some of these senses.”

I let out a tiny gasp as his fingertips grazed my hip, feather light. It felt so soft, yet it was like he had pushed on it. My hips moved up and his hand moved. Without seeing anything, I couldn't track his movements. I could see when his shadow left my vision or came into view. But other than that, I was totally blind and going for guessing.

He chuckled, his breath by my throat. There was a small hum before I felt the cool tingle of his magical tongue against my neck, delicately licking up toward my ear. His teeth closed around my lobe and I jolted up off the bed, my mouth open slightly. His hands were roaming over my body randomly before catching the bottom of my shirt.

He only lifted it enough for a small strip of skin to show. His phalanges ran over them, so soft. I could feel the anticipation running through my system like an addictive drug. I wanted more. I needed more. When I tried moving my arms to get to him, the headboard smacked against the wall again.

Oh yeah.

I whined as he continued, just running his fingers over that small patch of skin, his tongue and teeth grazing random spots on my body. The coil in my abdomen was beginning to wind up and I couldn't think properly. I could only think about how great he would feel inside of me. How much I wanted him inside of me.

He finally moved my shirt upward, slowly, inching carefully. He kissed me, his tongue demanding passage and I gave it to him, trying to fight back and quietly give my own demands. But he was unrelenting, moving away so he could pull my shirt over my head and left it dangling on my arms. I hadn't worn a bra to bed, because let's face it, those things suck to sleep in.

Cool air hit my skin, raising goosebumps on my skin. I could feel my nipples pebble when the air caressed my skin, and Stretch took in a breath. I could hear the deep inhale through his nasal cavity before he nuzzled the valley between my breasts. I arched into him a little, a small whine in the back of my throat.

He chuckled, his breath warming my skin. His fingers delicately traced random patterns along my sides, moving up to cup my tits. I sighed, my lips parted slightly as he moved to the left.

His tongue laved my nipple, his magic sending ripples of pleasure through my body. I could feel myself trembling, thighs quivering as he moved to the next one. He bit down slightly, causing me to gasp and arch up, my hips jolting into his pelvis. He let out a soothing laugh before he moved away.

I couldn't see his shadow anymore. The anticipation coiled low in my belly, and I could hear the faint rustling of clothes. There was a clinking noise and I was momentarily confused. I wasn't wearing my collar, and there wasn't anything metallic on the bed...

He moved back over me, his shadow encompassing my vision. I felt my heart beat race as he moved over me and I felt the tie on my hands loosen. My shirt was removed the rest of the way and he guided my hands in front of me before something soft, but firm wrapped around my hands. His belt, I momentarily thought. It was his belt.

The grip he had on the belt tightened as he yanked me up and forward. I cried out as his teeth crashed to mine, the bones of his ribs pressing against the flesh of my arms. I flexed my fingers and whined, even as he ground his hips into me. I could feel myself slowly coming undone, and his finger slid just underneath the waistband of my pajama bottoms.

He threw me back and I landed with a soft thump on the bed, bouncing as he tore off my pants and panties. I drew my thighs together to keep some warmth, but he wasn't having that as he pulled them apart again, his finger grazing over my clit. I threw my head back, letting out a small groan.

“Stretch...”  
He chuckled, making small circular motions. The coil in my belly wound tighter as my thighs quivered around him. I tried freeing my hands, but he had done the belt too tight, and it wouldn't budge anytime soon. When I went to reach for him, the cooling effect of his magic halted my movements, moving my hands to lay on my ribs. I could hear him tsking me.

“behave, honey,” he said, a smile in his voice. “i'll tie your hands to headboard again if i have to.”

I let out a whimper, moving my hips. He had stopped while he was talking and he chuckled.

“so impatient...”

His hand moved away, but I didn't have time to make another noise as his finger speared through me. I clenched around him, letting out a strangled noise in the back of my throat. His fingers were a lot like G's, longer than the others. He slowly pumped in and out, curling his finger ever so slightly.

I writhed beneath him, my mouth open as I gasped for air. I could feel the coil trying to come undone, but it like he was holding back so I wouldn't. I made a sound I thought would portray my frustrations, but he ignored them, continuing that painfully slow motion.

He leaned over me, giving me a small kiss on my forehead before he kissed me. His tongue ran along my bottom lip and I opened for him, as his finger picked up pace. I could feel the coil ready to spring, and my thighs quivered harder, faster.

But he stopped.

He pulled his finger out and I cried in anger, trying my best to glare at him through the makeshift blindfold. He broke the kiss and moved so I could feel his breath on my ear.

“not yet,” he whispered. “when you cum that first time, it's gonna be on my cock. am i clear?”

I could only nod, my hands grazing his ribs. He sucked in a breath and a small groan sounded from him as I rubbed them, tracing them with my fingertips. He moved away, releasing my grip. He moved down my body, and his shadow disappeared from view. He must have been able to stop his breathing, because I could feel no breath as he moved. I couldn't even feel the material of his pants. And all I could do was wonder.

Tingling magic sent my body ablaze as his tongue took its first lap at my clit. If his arm hadn't been banded around my hips, I would have probably bucked both of us off the bed. I cried out, the coil trying to spring free, but unable to. It was like he knew when and how, cause right as I would the precipice, he would back off and let me cool off. Then he'd go right back at it.

When I tried locking my knees around his skull, he easily moved them off, pinning one with his magic and the other with his free hand. I don't know when he'd thought I had enough, but when he did, I groaned and he moved away. He gripped the belt and tugged me up. He guided me to the end of the bed and I felt it tug a little more as he must have wrapped it around his hand.

There was more rustling and movement. Then there was that tingle prodding at my lips again. I opened and he slid his cock in side my mouth, groaning. His free hands moved the hair away from my face before he pulled almost all the way out and slammed back in, gagging me it hit the back of my throat. Also like G, he was longer than he was girthy.

At some point he stopped thrusting his hips as I took over. I felt desperate, I could feel myself leaking down my thighs. I could feel my toes curling and my heart was hammering in my ears. His smell was intoxicating; like smoky bourbon on a nice summer's night. If I had control of my hands, I would have been able to grip his femurs, but I couldn't, so I depended on him to hold me while I bobbed on his dick like a hungry man finishing his last meal.

The noises he made when I used my tongue spurred me to lick underneath his cock, just barely able to reach the base. He made a choking noise that sounded like a growl, and tossed me back again, his grip on the belt gone. I yelped as I bounced on the mattress, feeling the bed dip beside me.

I didn't see him do it, but when my soul tugged its way out of my chest, I knew what I had coming. Suddenly, there was a blinding light and I blinked a few times. He'd taken the blindfold off. I looked over at him.

Orange colored sweat beaded his forehead as he stared down at me with his narrow eye sockets. I could feel him poised at my entrance, his entire body shaking so hard I could hear his bones rattling faintly. Above I saw our souls dancing together, just barely touching, almost pulsating.

I looked back at Stretch, my hands still bound by the belt.

“ _head's_ up.”

That was all I got as he slammed home. Part of me was ready to yell at him for the pun before he did that, and I could only scream as I came completely undone around him. The coil sprung hard and I convulsed around him, milking for every magical drop I could. He didn't pause or stop; he continued thrusting inside of me, hard and fast.

His teeth brushed against my mouth, stifling the gasps and moans. He didn't relent; his pelvic bone was smacking harshly against my own as he buried himself to the hilt repeatedly.

He placed his forehead on mine as the glow in the room grew brighter, our souls merging as he came inside of me, his cock twitching its release. As we came down, so did our souls, and they went back to their respective persons.

I could see mine just before it entered once more through my sternum. There was traces of red, blue and yellow with some orange in there as well. And there was still a spot that none of them touched, as though it was reserved.

His appendage disappeared and I felt empty, but we still remained like that even as he removed his belt and threw it somewhere in the room. He rolled us over onto our sides, his face nuzzled into the crook of my neck. I pulled the covers over us and nestled in with him, one of my arms curled around his skull and my cheek resting beside his forehead. He kept his skull by my sternum, as though listening to the sound of magic coursing through me.

We fell asleep just like that, with the sunlight beaming into the room.

**

“i'm telling you, this is exactly what it says it is.”

If G had a nose, he'd be pinching the spot just above it in aggravation. Classic held the book he'd gotten from Jewel in his hands, his eye lights disbelieving. His eyes roamed over the name that was printed on the cover before he tossed it on the coffee table in front of him, letting everyone else see.

Stretch had come down at some point, putting a finger to his teeth. G had decided right then was a good time to bring this to his attention. Red was sitting off in smoker's corner, puffing on his cigarette. Ink was sitting on the couch beside Sans, his eye lights white dots instead of their usual funky colors and shapes. Stretch was lounging on the opposite side, raising a brow plate.

“i forgot gaster was yours,” he mused softly. “mine woulda been the river person in your lines.”

Classic shook his head. “that's impossible. he's been stuck in the void for centuries.” He cast a glance behind him toward the kitchen.

The sounds of Edge teaching Papyrus and Blueberry how to cook properly were definitely interesting. While he was the edgier version of Classic's brother, he sounded softer when talking to them than he did his own brother. But Red seemed unbothered by it. He said he'd actual found nice for once not to hear his yelling.

G sighed. “i read through the book myself, but you need to read the ending...”

Classic snagged the book back as Red made his way over. He flipped to the last page, where there was one more line there that brought the worst feeling of foreboding any of them had dealt with.

_“And while, things have been nice, there will be one more **reset** before anyone can achieve true happiness on the surface.”_

Classic looked like he was gonna be sick. Red had red beads of sweat popping out on his forehead and Stretch looked paralyzed. Even Ink looked like the world was going to fall out of his seat. None of them knew what to say as he closed the book and put it back on the table. His hands shook and he shoved them in his pockets as he contemplated the words in his head.

“what does that mean?” Red demanded, his voice shaking. “that we're...that your frisk...”

G shook his head once more. “no idea. but we need to be mindful and watch out for anything that could bring about a reset. if this resets...we'll be sent back. angel won't remember us.”

None of them wanted to hear it, but they all understood the implications. If anything were to happen now, even the smallest thing, it could butterfly effect into a reset.

Stretch ran a hand down his face. “if he's anything like mine, then he's right, you know. something will undoubtedly happen, even if we don't want it to.”

Ink piped up. “you guys, maybe he was trying to warn her?”

All the eye lights turned to him. It didn't faze him, and he got up from the couch, his white eye lights on the floor as he rubbed his chin, pacing back and forth in front of the coffee table.

“when i brought the both of us back the day we met...red's version of papyrus,” he began, his eyes flicking to Red briefly before resuming, “there was someone trying to grab flower.. but it wasn't rushed or threatening; i would have known automatically.”

Classic breathed out through his nasal cavity. “gaster.”

Ink nodded. “exactly; but he didn't seem like he was trying to hurt her. more like warn her...”

Red shook his head. “unless we go back into that place and manage to find the melted fuck, we're never going to know.”

Ink stopped pacing and looked at Red, raising a brow. “it's possible, indeed. in fact, he seemed to come to her.”

Classic held up his hands. “now just hold on a fucking second. are we really thinking about taking princess into the void and taking her to see him?”

G snorted, hip popped out. “i think you should.”

The others made noises of agreement. Classic looked everywhere before sighing, flopping back on the couch and running a hand over his skull. “look, i've no problems with that. but i don't wanna scare her or bring up bigger issues.”

“yer gonna bring up that issue,” Red snapped. “because you fucked up. none o' us are goin' back if we have anythin' to say about it!”

The others nodded in agreement. Classic groaned.

“why are other versions of me so stubborn?”

They all went silent, except for the pounding of pots and pans in the kitchen. They all watched the book on the coffee table like it was venomous snake getting ready to bite them. Ink was the one who picked it and tossed it in the air. G summoned a translucent red hand, similar to his with a hole in it, and a thin red laser shot from it.

They watched as the book lit on fire, suspended in Ink's magic. Stretch moved a bucket under it and Ink let the book drop, ashes scattering through the room as they watched the book burn. They all had a silent agreement.

No matter what, their precious Jewel couldn't see that book ever again. And they would be damned if they lost her now, after everything that has happened.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> JUST ONE MORE SKELEFUCK SCENE. I'm actually kind of sad about that. I love writing these scenes. LOL.
> 
> Alright guys, I'm planning out the next few chapters now, so get ready for it to start winding down. 
> 
> Enjoy! <3


	33. Merry Christmas Pt I

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's Christmas!
> 
> And Edge is feeling emotional. Plus, I show Red something he isn't exactly happy with me having.

The morning of Christmas, Papyrus and Blueberry combined efforts to bust open my bedroom door. Sans had been sleeping with me and had effectively fallen off the bed in shock as his brother and his counterpart screamed that it was time to open presents. I was still scrubbing the sleep from my eyes as they ran out of my room, going to get the others.

Sans groaned and sat up, the top of his skull visible over the side of the bed. He gave a large yawn and stretched his arms over his head. I managed to sit up as the sound of fists hitting doors reverberated around the house. I was still scrubbing my eyes as I felt the bed dip beside me and Sans groaned.

“i love paps, and even blue a little bit, but it's fuckin' seven in the morning...” he groaned.

“You should have known this was coming,” I pointed out, yawning. “Instead, you decided to honk my boobs almost all night.”

“what can i say?” he said happily. “they're my breast friends.”

“I deserved that.”

He chuckled as he gave me a sweet kiss, lingering just a moment as Red stormed into the room, grumbling unhappily. His eye lights were dim; he still wasn't awake and probably didn't realize what he was doing. He climbed on my bed, crawled over to me and laid his skull on my lap. He shut his eye sockets and groaned.

“yer version of papyrus sucks,” he grumbled, curling up into me.

“don't make me dunk on you, red.”

He didn't respond as the others started coming in. Ink was carrying his paintbrush much like a blanket. It reminded me of the second day I was here, when he had spit up his inky magic everywhere after being excited to see me. G looked barely put together, his sweater not even on all the way and Stretch just looked downright grumpy.

They all climbed on the bed. I tried to protest, but none of them were having it as they each took turns giving me a good morning kiss. I let out a small whine in the back of my throat and groaned.

“Guys, we need to go down there,” I complained. “Otherwise they'll come barging through the door again. And that was a horrible wake-up call.”

Sans grunted. The others only shook their heads as they moved away, climbing off the bed. I finally crawled from underneath the covers and grabbed my phone and my hoodie before we left the room, heading down the stairs.

Edge was already in smoker's corner, puffing on another one of his cigars. The thick smoke was swiftly sucked out the window by the cool breeze. I put on my hoodie as Papyrus and Blueberry came out of the kitchen with trays in their hands. They set them on the table and I laughed.

Puppy chow. They made puppy chow and brought out some chocolate milk for everyone, even Edge. There were nine bowls of puppy chow and seven cups of chocolate milk and two cups of white milk. When I glanced at Sans, he nodded. So the milk was for the two more childlike of the skeletons. Figures.

Ink, however, didn't get that memo and snagged one of the white milks, examining it. He took a sniff of it, before tossing all of it back like a shot. As I stood there in wonder, Blueberry started throwing a fit, stomping hit foot. Stretch lifted him up by his scarf, glaring down at him and snagging his paintbrush so he couldn't teleport away.

After it was settled and Edge got Blueberry another milk, which shocked the shit out of Red, Papyrus gathered everyone to the tree. Well, almost. Red, Stretch and G decided they needed to smoke right after Edge was finished, and were now sitting in smoker's corner while Blue and Papyrus pouted, staring out the window near the giant tree.

I couldn't help but chuckle, a shiver running over me. While I didn't mind while they smoked inside the house, the fact they had to keep the window open more often than not bothered me. Specially since Edge has to have it open wider. Sometimes, I wondered if they really forgot that I was a human and that I could basically freeze to death.

Both Ink and Sans seemed to notice my shiver at the same time. While Ink removed his scarf, Sans removed his hoodie, throwing it over the one I was already wearing. Ink placed his scarf over my neck, fixing it so it sat properly and wrapped correctly. He moved my hair out of the way and I smiled at them.

The others finally came over, closing the window and surrounding me in their usual formation. I smiled as they surrounded me and I could feel eyes on us. When I glanced at Edge, he looked like he wanted to say something, but when he glanced at his older brother, he couldn't seem to bring himself to. It reminded of the night I had wanted to fight him, right in the dining room.

_“HE'S CHANGED. I'M HAPPY FOR HIM.”_

The words bounced around in my head for a moment before I felt a hand on my shoulder. I turned to see Red glancing at me, his eye lights running over my face. I gave him a smile and turned as Papyrus grabbed the first present. He looked for the tag, his eye lights almost boggling out of his skull in excitement.

“SANTA DIDN'T PUT A TAG ON HERE!” he said, shocked.

I chuckled and moved away from the boys, holding my hand out. “Lemme see it, babe. I'll play his role and pass everything out.”

It took almost an hour to pass everything out. I had tried putting my gifts to the side to open later, but little Blueberry wasn't having it. He demanded that I open my gifts lest I make the Magnificent Blueberry cry. He even had little cyan tears at the ready in the corner of his sockets. I gave in and opened everything, which included a new hoodie, some random objects to decorate my room with and...

A leash.

I nearly gagged on my chocolate milk, holding a hand over my face as I heard Red laughing his metaphorical ass off. He was lying on the ground with his arm over his eyes, little red tears visible. The others took a little longer as they stared at it before they busted into fits of boisterous laughter as well. Though no one, not even Edge, who was hiding his own face, could answer why it was so funny to the two innocent skeletons.

I was going to kill him.

I locked eyes with him as he sat up, wiping the tears from his face. His eye sockets widened and he shook his head, holding his palms up in an act of surrender. I lowered my brows, trying to think. If he hadn't been the one to, then who...

My eyes widened and my gaze shot straight to Edge, who sat with his arms crossed and a satisfied smirk on his face. Then I couldn't hold it anymore, and I began laughing. Edge, this evil bastard who basically told me he hated me, had gotten me a fucking leash.

I didn't know who was worse, his brother or him.

While everyone gathered their things, Papyrus and Blueberry rushed off to go play with their new action figures. Edge grumbled something and went upstairs himself, taking the stuff we had gotten him as well.

The boys lazily just poofed all their stuff to their rooms and I rolled my eyes, taking some of my things before heading for the stairs. I went to my room and started placing things along the dresser. I was running out of room. I looked around and pursed my lips. Maybe I could get a couple of shelves put in...

“Human!”

I whirled around to see Edge leaning in my doorway, using my doorjamb. He straightened when I turned around and motioned to my room. I narrowed my eyes and nodded, taking in the fact he used a much quieter voice, though it was still like he was punctuating the beginning of each word.

“I Just...Wanted To Thank You!” he said, his words halting. “I Know I May Not Have Been The Best Monster To You, But You Still Got Me Gifts.”

I smiled at him. Deciding to mess with him further, I ran up and gave him a hug, jumping to wrap my arms around his neck. While Papyrus was tall, this Papyrus was definitely taller. I would literally need an actual ladder to reach him. So, I jumped, almost knocking us both over. Luckily for us, he was sturdy and seemed to catch on before any real damage could be done.

It threw him off, definitely. I held onto him while he gathered himself, his arms dangling at his sides before they slowly wrapped around my back. He gave me a gentle squeeze back and I smiled into his collarbone.

“It's not a big deal, Edge,” I whispered. I pulled back and gave him a toothy grin. “I don't hold anything against you. You did what you thought would be best in your situation. We've overcome it, now how about we try being friends?”

He seemed to give pause before he set me down on my feet. He gave me an expression that I knew he'd only ever given one other person. He fell to his knees before me, grabbing my hand and placing his forehead against it. This time, I was the one thrown for a loop. I knew that expression; it was one Red wore a lot when he and I had these conversations about his past. About how his LV was high because of the world he lived in.

It was one of absolute relief.

He stayed like that, both of his hands on my one, engulfing it entirely. His skull remained down, even when he moved it off my hand. He seemed at a loss for words, his tattered scarf covering his face. I couldn't see anything until I saw the first red tear fall onto the carpet, the magic evaporating into thin air.

Oh no.

Was he...?

“...Edge?” I asked.

“Thank You.” His voice was broken. “I'm So Sorry I Did That To You. I Do Not...I Do Not Deserve Your Kindness.”

My heart broke and I dropped to my knees with him. I took his face in my hands and it surprised me how thin he really felt. Like someone who hadn't eaten in days. I lifted his face up to mine and I made his eye lights look at me. I gave him the best smile I could muster, wiping off the tears from his cheekbones.

“Red thought the same thing, you know,” I whispered to him. “Red thought because of his past, I would turn him away as a mate. But I didn't. Things happen. I put myself in your shoes. You were drawn away from your world, and brought here. You're confused because you have no idea what's going on. Someone says there's a way for you to go home, but you have to do something for him first. Before you can get your loved one and go home.” I placed my forehead against his, closing my eyes. “Desperation can make people do some pretty fucked up things. I'm not going to hold it over your head, Ed...Papyrus.”

The dam broke and he clung to me as he cried, his sobs silent as I rubbed his skull and whispered to him. He acted like a was a lifeline, and holding onto me was the only way he'd know this was real. And in reality, I wasn't going to hold it over his head.

What he did was horrible. That was true in and of itself. But I wasn't going to blame him for trying to find his brother, trying to go home. This isn't his timeline, and he hadn't adjusted when my father found him. He had been confused and scared, though he would never admit the latter of the two. All he knew was that someone knew where his brother was and that there was a way to take them both back to their own home.

My mates had all said they were the only ones who knew about other timelines, who knew about the other Sans and Papyruses and the others. Ink said that though they all knew that, he was the only one of them who knew the extent of those timelines. Which means when Papyrus had been dropped here, with different versions of the monsters he'd known, it must have scared the absolute shit out of him.

He eventually calmed down and I moved away, giving him a smile. “Go get cleaned up. Tori and the others will be here soon for dinner.” I gave him a wink. “Wouldn't want them to see 'the Great and Terrible' Edge like this, would we?”

He gave you a knowing smile and helped you stand. With one last pat on the head, he left, heading to the room at the farthest end of the hall. I heard his door close and smiled, heading back to my dresser as I watched Red come in the room. He looked between me and Edge's door before he finally sighed, sitting on my bed. It bounced beneath him, his radius's resting on his femurs as he looked at the ground.

I went over to him. “What's wrong, darling?”

He looked up at you, giving you a genuine smile. “jus' wanted to thank ya. i heard what'cha were sayin' to him, an' he really needed to hear it.” He scratched his cheekbone. “thanks for that.”

I smiled and gave him a kiss on his cheek, before standing and heading over to the dresser. I began picking out clothes, mumbling to myself. I tossed them on the bed before looking through the jewelry before picking up the golden locket I'd gotten from my dream only a month or two ago.

I turned to face Red, holding it out to him. “I forgot about this. What do you think?”

When he looked at the locket, the temperature in the room dropped and his eye lights almost completely dimmed out. He was in front of me in mere seconds, snagging it away from me and looking it over. He closed his fist around it before he looked up at me, his voice shaking.

“where did you get this?”

I blinked, shocked. “In one of my dreams. I had completely forgotten about it until I saw it sitting with the rest of my stuff. Is something wrong? Red?”

I called his name over and over as he looked at the locket in his fist. The chain dangled between his phalanges as he gripped the actual heart tight. If he'd had skin, his knuckles would have been white by now. I placed my hand on his and he jerked away from me, his eye lights frantically looking around the room.

I frowned. “Red, what's wrong?”

“you shouldn't have this,” he said quickly. “it was...it was chara's.”

The name hit me like a freight train. I should have known it would belong to her with the way he was acting. The way he gripping it, I thought he was trying to smash it into pieces. I placed my hand over his, prying his phalanges apart carefully and taking the locket gently from him, keeping my eyes on his face the entire time.

He didn't like the fact I was taking it back, but I stroked his cheek with a finger. “I'll get rid of it. Don't worry.”

He seemed to relax and leaned in to kiss my forehead. I giggled and went around him.

“Now if you'll excuse me, I have to take a shower and change before the others show up,” I said, grabbing my things from the bed.

Red's pointed tongue poked out of his skull, the golden stud twinkling in the light. “can i...”

“No.”

While he was whining in protest, I went and shut the door, locking behind me. I knew full well he could come in if he really wanted to, but he knew when I said no, I meant no. Plus, I would like to get ready without him trying to cop a feel the entire time I was trying. I rolled my eyes and laughed, shaking my head.

I got in the shower, scrubbing my hair with my nails while my mind wandered. Summer had turned to fall, which had turned to winter in a few quick months. I had met these silly boys around that time, and thinking back on it now...life had gotten better, if not a little more painful.

Sure, this is my first Christmas without my parents, but it was also my first Christmas with my mates and their respective brothers. Where there was once dread, there was hope. There was hope something could actually be complete in my life. I had already completed the soul bond with four of the five of my mates. Now I just had to wait it out for Ink. While I was ready to complete it with him...he didn't look like he felt the same.

Whenever the others started teasing me about how they made me feel or whatever else, he would get this weird look on his face, like he was scared. But that couldn't be it. There was something else, something he wouldn't tell me. I wasn't sure as to what it was, but my poor Ink must feel out of place.

He lived in a space of time where he just...watched. He never got to go and do things with the others until now. He was there, but at the same time, he wasn't. He got to watch how their timelines played out, how others never got the same chance others did. It messed with him, because he was unable to help them. And that's what he had basically been created to do; to help them. To watch over them and protect them.

I rinsed off, shutting off the water and getting out. I dried off, wrapping my hair in a towel and heading to the mirror. I wiped some of the fog off and took a good look at myself for the first time in months.

I had always heard from the girls in school and in my life that there was a certain glow that came after having your first time. That came after having sex anytime. And I could see how true that was. My skin looked like it was glowing, my eyes radiant even to me. My hair looked shinier even in the dim light of the bathroom and my skin was soft to the touch. While I was still a little bigger than I would have liked, it didn't bother me as much as I used to.

I thought back to my skeleboys again. I could recall each of them and how they had basically worshiped my body. Like it was something to be cherished. They had never once looked at me in disgust like some guys had. I wasn't scared to wear shorts around them, and had even worn a crop top or two while I had been here. My confidence had reached its highest since I could remember.

And it was the best thing I could ever imagine.

I hummed to myself as I dried off and blow dried my hair. I got dressed, tugging the dress over my head and making sure my bra straps were hidden. Pictures would have gotten ruined by them and I would be damned if that happened with my first Christmas with not only my boys, but all of my friends.

I left my bathroom, Red still on my bed looking through his phone. He tapped something into it and turned when I whistled at him. It took him a moment to full grasp what I was wearing, and when he did, he choked on air as he took it in.

The dress was a holly green that clashed with my eyes perfectly. There was a sewn in belt with it, complete with the weirdly large buckle and a fluffy collar. I laughed to myself as I went over to the dresser, putting on my collar and bracelet. I grabbed the locket, looking at it for a moment before I stuffed it in the dress's pockets.

I know, right? Fucking dress pockets!

I was struggling to put on the necklace Sans had gotten me for my birthday when the door opened a fraction. I heard Red grumbling as I turned to face. Sans stood there, looking quite dapper in a blue suit. It was the same color as his magic, and it was honestly the most adorable thing I had ever seen. But then a thought struck me.

Did that mean that they were all wearing the colors of their magic?

These boys were gonna melt my goddamn heart before I hit twenty-two.

He came up to me as I tried working the clasp and waved my hands away, his eye lights disappearing and replaced with his blue orb. His hand was encased in his magic as he tilted his head. The cooling effect of the magic was tickling my skin as it encompassed the clasp and did it together, letting it settle slowly against my cleavage.

He wrapped his arms around me, his magic gone.

“you look good.”

“You don't look half bad yourself,” I quipped. “I better not look down and see pink slippers on your feet.”

He gave me a laugh, shaking his head. When I looked down, there was a pair of shiny looking loafers on his feet. When I looked back up at his face, he gave me a wink.

“i always prepare.” He held out an arm, giving you a genuine smile. “are ya ready, princess?”

I smiled, my heart swelling in my chest and my soul flaring to life. As attracted as I was to these skeletons, I also felt so deeply for them. They were one of the greatest blessings on this earth, and nothing could stop me from thinking otherwise.

I grabbed the Santa hat from it perch and placed it on my head, fixing my hair one last time before looping my arm through his.

“Lead the way, baby.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah, so. Here's this. I'm just gonna leave this here.
> 
> Enjoy!


	34. Merry Christmas Pt II

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Time to open presents and I give Flowey one of his own!
> 
> Ink and I make a time to talk
> 
> And there's a group picture!

When we flourished into the dining room, Frisk jumped on me, throwing her arms around my neck. I laughed, wrapping her arms around her waist and spinning us in a circle as the others looked one.

Everyone had gathered. Grillby and Muffet, and even some of the spider's family were hanging around. Asgore and Toriel were holding a festive looking Flowey, who had his leaves crossed and was trying to blow the white ball of fluff on the end of his hat. Edge, Papyrus and Blueberry were all gathered at the end of the room, going over a piece of paper quietly. Mettaton was hugging Nabstablook close while telling the little tearful ghost about his latest travels. And Alphys and Undyne were talking with Red about something.

When I saw my boys, I nearly melted into a human puddle on the floor in the room. The way they were dressed brought little tears to my eyes. They were all sharply dressed much like Sans, and even in the colors of their magics. Stretch was wearing a beautiful orange suit with an orange vest underneath it. Red had something similar with red, and G did as well with a yellow handkerchief tucked in the breast pocket. Ink was wearing a mix of red and green with a white vest underneath, his eye lights red and green stars.

Be still, my fucking heart.

They all turned when they saw me. Ink cried out and poofed to my side, ripping my arm away from Sans, lifting me up and twirling me in a circle. I laughed, hitting his back as his scarf tried entering my mouth. I spit it back out as he put me down and held me out at arms length, looking me up and down.

“holly, you look beautiful,” he murmured, giving me a gentle kiss on my forehead.

I laughed, my face flushing. “Thanks, Ink.”

My boys each took their turn giving me kisses and compliments. Toriel cooed at me about my outfit, which I told her Bunny made for me for the day. As everyone mingled and Edge, Papyrus and Blueberry took to the kitchen, I couldn't help but search out Flowey.

The necklace in my pocket burned, and I couldn't help but think that maybe, just maybe, this would mean more to the flower than it would to Frisk.

I finally found him being taunted by Red and Sans. We locked eyes and I could tell he was trying to beg me to come and grab him. I made a beeline for him, picking up his pot and hugging it to my chest, glaring at my two mates. They each looked off in different directions, their magic coating their cheeks in a faint blush.

I shook my head and brought him out of the dining room. I went into the living room and went back over to the tree. There were more presents underneath the tree, more than there had been this morning. They were piled high, with the smallest ones resting on the top of the bigger ones. It was like an awkwardly formed pyramid.

I sat him down the floor and sat with him, folding my legs off to the side and smoothing out my dress. I put my hand in the pocket of my dress and wrapped my hand around the locket, giving it a small squeeze.

“What's wrong?” I heard Flowey ask. “You look like you're about to puke. Please do that the other direction.”

I glared down at him. “I'll put you back with Sans and Red.”

He held up his leaves, chuckling. I sighed, unsure of how to give it to him. When I gave it one more squeeze, a trickle of determination coursed through me and I slowly pulled it out. I took in a deep breath through my nose before I dangled it from my fingers in front of him.

The way those beady little eyes lit up is a look I would never forget. He looked like he had found something he had tried for so long to find, but it was always just out of reach. A vine slithered from the dirt surrounding him, the tip of the vine linking through the chain. He gently lifted it off his fingers, bringing it close to his face. Tears brightened those eyes of his as he looked up at me, placing the locket in front of his stem. His vine went back into the dirt.

“Thank you,” he whispered. “This...Chara and I had a matching set.” He pointed with his leaf to the locket. “It was something we treasured, but I think hers or mine got lost when...everything happened.”

I leaned closer. I hadn't seen it before, but there were words engraved on the front of the locket. Best Friends Forever. There was a little tiny heart engraved beside the last word, and it didn't even look like it would open.

He waved his leaves, and sighed. “Thank you. This is something I've been thinking about for a while now.”

I gave him a smile. “I'm glad I could be of some help,” I whispered.

We buried it in his soil so no one would notice until he could show Frisk later. With that, I carried him back into the dining room, where I passed him off to Frisk. I went around and made sure I talked to everyone. Undyne and Alphys were lost in their own little world. Toriel was with the skeleton boys in the kitchen, helping them prepare a big meal while Asgore was talking about gardening with Papyrus and Edge. Grillby was preparing drinks while Muffet and her little family she brought focused on dessert.

My boys were slowly gathering around me, touching me in some way or other. Except for Ink. He was off to the side talking to Alphys, who had a look of pure bliss on her face as he talked. Her eyes twinkled much like the anime characters she talked so much about. She was clicking her claws together in a weird pattern. My only guess was that so it would help her remember what he was saying.

But something he said threw her off. She paused in her claw clacking and her eyes got real huge. Undyne looked ready to fight, her clawed fingers twitching. Ink quickly said something, laughing, and they both relaxed. But when I got a good look at Ink, he looked put off, like something was wrong.

Everyone continued this pattern for another couple hours, just running around and mingling with everyone. Undyne's loud mouth kept almost giving away what she got for everyone because she was getting so impatient. Grillby and Muffet basically had to keep guard at the doorway leading to the living room before she dashed in there.

While this transpired, I made my way over to Ink, placing a hand on his shoulder. He looked over at me with a smile, his eye lights a green orb and red flower. I loved how easily the festivities came to him. It was something so precious...

“Ink, are you alright?” I asked quietly. “I...saw your conversation with Undyne and Alphys earlier...”

He seemed conflicted, his eye lights flicking over my face, like he was trying to memorize it. He placed a hand on my cheek and put his forehead against mine, smiling. It was a small smile, but it was still better than the look of conflict.

“we'll talk later, snap dragon,” he whispered. “just us, okay?”

I nodded and he moved away, giving me a small kiss on my cheek as Toriel called out that it was time for dinner. Everyone made their way to their spots before the others picked out the empty chairs. Today, Red and Sans sat beside me, Ink across from me. I smiled at them before little Blueberry, who wore a bright cyan suit with his usual bandanna and boots and gloves, came rushing through with his little cart.

It was so damn precious.

Papyrus, who was wearing an off orange colored suit, came out behind him carrying a large tray of ham. Edge was behind him carrying a few other things, looking dashing in his own darker red suit. My poor heart wasn't going to make it out of this holiday.

Asgore served the food, cutting out decent sized pieces of the ham before putting them on the plates passed to him. Everyone took their own helpings of anything else they wanted, and conversation flowed easily. They turned to me to ask how most humans celebrated their Christmases.

I furrowed my brows. “You guys have all been up here for ten years. How have you been doing it?”

Toriel shrugged as Frisk shoveled food in her face. “My child, we are monsters. We don't go by these...Christian customs.”

I held a finger, dabbing at my mouth before putting my napkin on my lap. “Christmas isn't actually a Christian holiday,” I said. “It's actually a Pagan holiday. And, technically, Christmas isn't Jesus's birthday. After extensive research, it's said he would have actually been born in the spring or the fall. I can never remember which.”

Toriel's furry brows raised as Blueberry looked over me, his green beans halfway to his mouth already. His brow plates furrowed, much like Papyrus and Edge's were doing. It was astounding to think these three were the same monster, just from different timelines. 

“WHO IS THIS PAGAN YOU SPEAK OF?” Blueberry asked.

“if my research is right,” Red answered instead, “'pagan' is not a who. it's a religion. and some humans still follow that.”

I nodded absently. “I'm not sure how it got to become known as a Christian holiday to celebrate the birth of Jesus, but that's what it's most commonly under now. Drives me insane, personally.”

My boys nodded absently while their siblings and the former King and Queen took it in. Frisk said nothing, playing with the mashed potatoes on her plate instead. She seemed thoughtful, like she was wondering.

Maybe she was wondering the same thing I was. She fell into the Underground when she was young, and she'd told me in passing it was because she'd run away from home. I guess home life with her birth parents had been dreadful, and she had always felt at home in the wilderness near home. Falling down the rabbit hole, as she phrased it, was just the added bonus to find the family she'd always wanted.

I couldn't help but wonder what my parents were doing. Did they have my presents there, just sitting under the Christmas tree? Did they put up the tree? What did they do with my ornaments? I couldn't help but wonder if they even put up the tree, let alone decorate with my ornaments and put my presents under there. If there were any presents under there.

I shook my head and took a bite of food, chewing slowly as I gazed around the table. Everyone was laughing and smiling, talking with one another. It reminded me that while family was important, family was sometimes too toxic to be around. And I found myself a new family, one that actually cared about what I wanted and encouraged me to do things.

While I had lost my family, I had gained another family. One that was nothing but monsters and one human. I watched as Flowey tried swatting Frisk's hand away, avoiding the green beans like his life depended on it. He was crying out about how he wasn't eating another plant. I couldn't help but crack a smile.

Sans looked over at me before leaning by my ear. “what's wrong, princess?”

I glanced at him before shrugging. “Nothing. I'm alright, promise.”

His brow plate raised, and being this close, I could hear the bone sliding together. “if you promise...”

I sighed. “Later, okay? Let's enjoy the holiday.”

He seemed just as conflicted as Ink did earlier, but he nodded, giving me a small kiss on my cheek before sitting back up, resuming his conversation with Alphys. I looked over at Red, who was eyeing me like Sans had been a second ago. I risked a glance up and noticed the others doing the same thing.

I threw my hands up in exasperation and laughed, talking with everyone while we all finished our meals. Once that was done, Asgore stood and went into the living room. Everyone just seemed to...follow. Hell, I did, too. He was their old king after all.

Papyrus, Edge and Blueberry were cleaning still while I filed out with the others. I watched as the couches and chairs were then all rearranged with my mates' magic, different colors surrounding different things. They set up a huge plushy chair next to the tree, where Asgore sat. Toriel and Frisk sat beside him, Frisk sitting on his lap holding Flowey. 

Grillby and Muffet passed around drinks and dessert, talking about something business related as they passed by. Undyne and Alphys claimed the corner of the big green couch, talking in low tones about something. At least, until she suddenly shrieked and threw a magical spear at Red, who was laughing hysterically.

As the others controlled her and told her to contain her anger, the other skeletons came back into the room, Papyrus and Blueberry coming to sit in front of me and the boys. Edge took a seat beside me, his arm going around the back of the couch. Everyone but Red eyed him, sizing him up. I glared at all of them and did something that I would probably get punished for later.

I curled into Edge's side, sticking my tongue out at all of them.

While my boys started to protest, everyone else seemed to calm down when he made no move to hurt me. I glanced up at him when he pet the top of my head a couple times, his own way of saying thank you. While he hadn't been here long, he was still Red's brother. Red's version of Papyrus. And I would love and protect him like I did with Papyrus and Blueberry.

Asgore began handing out the presents. I was surprised I wasn't the only one who got Flowey a little gift. Though, I guess Sans's gift of sunflower seeds and a little joke wasn't really a good idea. And Edge was taken aback once more when he was handed a few of his own gifts. While he tried to contain his excitement, I could feel it coming from him in waves.

It was actually kind of cute.

Everyone tore into their gifts, even myself. More things to decorate my room with. A new sheet set and a new comforter. Some clothes and more jewelry. The way these things looked, they were definitely not cheap. It made me only a little uncomfortable. I knew it was their way of showing me they loved me.

After the presents, the boys brought out some hot chocolate, passing around the mugs before settling back on the couch near me. It was then I realized this was my peace. Everyone gathered around the Christmas tree, laughing and joking with one another. Even Flowey was joking with everyone. And even though his laugh made most uncomfortable, it was welcome among everyone today.

I took a mental picture of this, closing my eyes and smiling into my mug.

“Why don't we take a picture of this?” I heard Frisk ask.

“Child, what do you mean?” Toriel asked.

I opened my eyes and looked at the savior of all these beautiful creatures. She was smiling and holding Flowey close to her chest.

“I mean, a group picture!” She said excitedly. "We all sit over there by Jewel and the boys and take one big picture!” She looked at her adoptive parents with a big grin. “It'll be a great memory to have on the walls at home!”

Undyne cackled, standing up quickly. “I agree, punk! Let's take a picture and remember back years later how awesome we all are!”

Alphys shook her head and brought her girlfriend to sit beside her again. The shy monster was blushing though, trying to hide the orange hue behind her girlfriend's fin.

I nodded slowly. “They're right. This would be a great memory to look back on.” I took a glance at my boys. “My first Christmas with you guys.” Then I looked at everyone else. “And my new family.”

Everyone cheered at me. I laughed as they pinched my cheeks and gave me hugs. Even Edge was smiling, though he was trying to hide it as a sneer. Again, it was still kind of cute.

Ink ran off to grab a camera and the stand for it as everyone situated themselves where they would be seen. My boys made their stations known, though. Sans and Red on either side of me with Ink and Stretch by my legs. And G, the tallest of them, was standing behind me,his phalanges running through my hair. Asgore was finishing setting up as the others around me closed in, taking their spots around me. When everything was set, he rushed over to stand beside his wife, Flowey and Frisk in front of them.

My heart was warm in that moment, and I couldn't help but glance around at everyone. Their faces were lit up with smiles and laughs and even Edge and Red were picking on each other. It was nice to see everyone calming down, even after everything that had happened.

“Say cheese, young ones!”

Everybody stopped and did what they did best. They posed for the camera with smiles and laughter.

Too bad, in just a little while, none of this would matter.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry, guys! I just started a new job this past Tuesday and they have me baking. So I'm waking up at 1 in the morning to go to work. TwT
> 
> Hope you enjoyed the chapter! Get ready for the next chapter...(;


	35. Dewdrop*

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ink and I finally do the deed. But only after he shares his concern with me.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **ALL THE SMUT.**
> 
> But seriously. Smut in this chapter. There is some stuff, so if you don't wanna read it, go to the end notes, and I'll inform you there.

I let the boys do their things for the next couple days. It was only another day or two before New Year's Eve, and I wanted to make this one special. In reality, it really was. This was their first New Years with me. Plus, it'll have been about six months since G, Stretch, Ink and Red all came here. Of course, that included Papyrus, Edge and Blueberry, too. Although I couldn't exactly be sure how long Edge had been here.

Fuck it.

I scoured the house, humming a little lullaby to myself as I walked. All the boys were off doing something. G was tending to the nightclub, Stretch and Red were screaming at one of the new video games they got for Christmas. Sans was downstairs tonight, fiddling with the machine. He had mentioned he wanted to talk to me about something important. But, it would have to wait until after I'd had my talk with Ink.

I hunted for the colorful skeleton, finding him in the kitchen with Edge. They had been talking when I walked in, pointing to something outside. Edge was even careful not to make a peep. And knowing him, it was hard for him. I chuckled and came up behind them.

“What are we looking at?” I whispered.

Ink jumped, startled. Edge, who must have heard me come in, turned to look at me with a bored expression. It still amused me how he acted so tough and hard, yet he had cried in my arms like a baby only days prior. He was such a precious thing.

“INK HERE HAS NEVER SEEN SNOW,” Edge stated. His tone was confused, but he went with it. “I'M UNSURE HOW HE HASN'T, SEEING AS WHERE HE IS FROM.”

I hummed. “Well, that would mean he's seen it in those pictures, but never in person. Am I right?”

Ink nodded, looking back out into the falling snow. His eye lights had become a white snowflake and a blue triangle. It was literally the most precious thing to see as those strange eye lights danced around to the falling snow outside.

I placed a hand on his shoulder and he turned to look at me. I gave him a smile and a nod and he nodded in return. After exchanging a few more words with Edge, we made our way upstairs. But, instead of going to my room, he detoured and took me into his.

It was the first time I'd been in his room. And it was the most vibrant thing I had ever seen. The walls were splashed with colors, ranging from the deepest red to the brightest pink, mixing and swirling together. There was pictures scattered all over his room, even ones of the boys and I. There were even some of them when it was just the boys and I was off doing whatever it was I would do. There was even one of them all playing video games together. The furniture was equally vivid, bright hues everywhere.

It was magnificent.

He led me to his bed and sat us down, taking his paintbrush and putting up in a stand. I smiled and looked over at him.

“What's going on, babe?” I asked quietly, watching him fidget with his gloves.

“well...you know how i told you i wasn't from any certain timeline, but i was in that space where i could watch?” I nodded. “well, it seems...ah, i'm not sure how i put this...”

I tilted my head. “Just try your best. I'm sure everything is okay.”

He sighed, his body drooping. “that's the thing tho, flower. i'm...i don't think everything is okay. not after the way alphys and undyne acted on christmas...”

I took his hand in mine before he pulled his gloves apart. He wouldn't look at me; his eye lights were to the floor. They had changed to regular white eye lights, which he only ever did when he was serious or focused. It was something I adored about him. His eye lights usually always brought me joy, but I couldn't help but wonder why he was acting so out of it.

“when i was created to watch over the timelines, i...i wasn't given a soul.”

I blinked once. Twice. I mulled what he said over in my head. Monsters had souls, all of them. It was literally their very being. If you killed the monster, the soul was done for and they turned to dust. So how did Ink not have one? How did he survive without one? The only other thing I could think of as to why would be because of where he was when he was created.

If that was the case, then Error didn't have one either. And that could pose an issue. With him haunting my dreams more, I needed to be rid of him, and quick. But I didn't know how I could be rid of him. Talking wasn't going to work. And with those threads of his, fighting is pointless.

“You don't have one at all?” I asked quietly, gripping his hand a little tighter.

He shook his head. “i mean...i didn't. not until i came here. and even then...”

He put his hand to chest and gave a little tug. While I was used to the vibrancy of the boys' souls, this one was dim. And it wasn't even a whole soul. It was a tiny little piece that floated just above his palm. It looked to be the same shape as the one that was on my soul. I didn't make a move to touch, but I watched as it danced around his palm.

Something seemed to blink inside of it, and I took a closer look. It was like white static, like the patches of missing pieces in my dreams with Error. There was a small hum coming from it, much like I heard with the others. It didn't swirl with magic and pulsate like theirs, either. It seemed kind of...bland for someone as colorful as him.

I went to touch it but paused. Would he feel it like I did with the others, or vice versa. I had touched Red's soul one time and he had damn near exploded in his pants. What would happen to someone who had never had a soul until now? Not to mention it wasn't even a whole piece; it was just a fractured piece that would come to me when it was done.

“flower?”

I was pulled from my thoughts and looked up at him through my lashes. Those white eye lights were flicking from one eye to the other, as though trying to gauge my reaction. Did he think I would be scared or something by the lack of soul? Maybe he thought I would be upset and never want to talk to him again?

Okay, maybe that last thought was a little dramatic.

I reached up instead, cupping his cheek in my hand. His bone was smooth, malleable beneath my palm and I ran my thumb under his eye socket before flashing him a big smile.

“It's okay, baby,” I whispered to him, bringing his head down. I lightly clonked my forehead with his. “We'll figure it out together. That's what couples do. That's what we'll do.”

His soul drifted away from his hand and he grabbed my face with both hands. His kiss was gentle, and his gloves were a little scratchy on my cheeks. I kept my one hand on his cheek and used my free one to grip his scarf in my hands. Out of all my skeleboys, he was the most gentle as he moved us back, my head slowly lowered onto a pillow. 

He moved away and I opened my eyes, looking up at him and smiling. There was a colorful blush running across his cheeks and I could see his eye lights hadn't changed from the white dots. He was looking over me again. If he had lips, he'd be worrying one between his teeth right now. Instead, I watched as his mandible moved back and forth, like he was grinding his teeth instead.

“Ink?”

“what if it doesn't work?” came his broken reply after a moment. “i...i don't have a full soul, so it might not work, lilypad.”

I brought him back down to me, sighing. “We'll cross that bridge when we come to it.”

I kissed him this time, my lips moving over malleable bone. He made a noise akin to a moan in the back of his nonexistent throat and kissed me back. I could hear that small hum of magic as he formed his tongue, letting it run along my lower lip. There was a slight cooling sensation, much like the peppermint patty his scent reminded me of. I sighed and opened for him, tangling my tongue with his.

Within moments we were panting. He wasted no time in tugging at my shirt while simultaneously taking off his scarf and tossing it beside the bed. He released me long enough to take off my shirt and his own, leaving him in just his black and teal bodysuit. While I was admiring the way it really did cling to his bones, his eye lights were traversing my upper body.

He seemed to take in the scars that marred the top of my right breast, his brow plates moving down as he moved a finger over one. My face heated and I looked away from him. It was a part of my past I wanted to hide, and none of the others had seemed to notice. And if they did, they didn't make any real moves on them like Ink just did.

“never again, flower,” he whispered, his voice broken. He leaned down, his teeth pressing a gentle kiss to it. “promise me.”

“I promise, Ink.”

It was a promise I had no intention of ever breaking.

His teeth moved down and captured my nipple, his tongue laving it lovingly while I writhed beneath him. It seemed to grow cool even and his mouth latched over it again. My soft gasps and groans filled the room and that irritable coil returned to me. It settled in my lower abdomen as I moved my hips up to meet Ink's.

He moved to the other one, placing a soft kiss above it on those scars as well before laving the other nipple, giving it the same amount of attention and love he had given my other one. I clung to his skull, my head thrown back as I gasped for air.

He left me, moving my arms from around his head as he moved back up my body, taking one of his gloves off as his teeth touched my lips in a small peck. I whined at him as he tossed his glove onto the floor. I would have clenched my knees together had he not been between them. While I knew he was inexperienced, I was, too. After all, the only lovers I had ever had were these guys. So it was something new for the both of us to learn. Together.

He moved the hair from my face with his free hand as his other one touch me through my pants. I arched against him, letting out a loud moan. If it was one thing with Ink, he always responded to anything verbal. He continued his ministrations, going in slow circles over my clit as I squirmed beneath him.

His eye lights remained on my face, watching my expression as I moved closer and closer to the climax I craved under his touch. I clenched my fist in his bodysuit, panting loudly. It was the only noise in the room.

He stopped suddenly and poofed from my side down to where his head was in front of my core. I watched he slowly discarded my pants and panties, tossing them somewhere else. When his eye landed back on the juncture between my legs, he gave a pause. If he had lips, they would have been pursed right now, as though he was studying something.

“it's like a dewdrop on a leaf,” he murmured.

Before I could question him, one finger plunged inside of me. I cried out, arcing. He paused, looking up at me with fright and worry on his features. I shook my head, letting him know I was okay and rotated my hips to tell him to keep going.

And he did. He went slow, as though feeling for himself how it felt inside of me. But then he picked up the pace, watching as my body moved and squirmed with pleasure. I gripped the sheets in my fists, gritting my teeth as I felt the coil wind ever tighter. It was almost painful.

Then I felt that cool, minty sensation hit my clit as his tongue laved at it. The coil sprung, and so did I. I felt myself fly over the edge, calling out his name in process.

“I-Iiinnkkkk!”

This seemed to spur him on as he helped me ride out my climax, his eye lights flicking up to meet my gaze. His eye lights had grown, reminding me of a human's eye when it would dilate. I couldn't help but whine as he didn't stop, even as I reached out for him.

He merely shook his head, lifting it up for a moment before sending me a mischievous smile. The one I knew all too well from him.

“i've been dying to know if you taste the same way you smell,” he said lowly.

While I was wondering where this not so shy skeleton came from, his finger left me. And his tongue dove inside of me, licking up every ounce of wetness he could gather. I couldn't explain what it was like, feeling that cooling mint effect down there. It was definitely sans-sational, as my boys would have put it, but it was something else. I just couldn't place my finger on it.

Granted, I couldn't place my fingers on a damn thing in this moment. All I could do was succumb to the mercy that was the feeling in my abdomen. The demon coil that had rewound itself back into place. It was achingly close again already, and just as I felt ready to burst, Ink moved away.

I let out a frustrated cry, causing him to chuckle as he removed the last vestiges of his clothes. I hadn't even seen him take his shoes off, let alone the blue hoodie he kept wrapped around his waist all the time. And with a snap of his fingers, the bodysuit disappeared.

And, just like I figured, he was definitely one of the more girthier skeletons. Instead of one solid color, his cock swirled with hues of every color, just like his usual day to day magic. He moved back, his finger making the “come hither” motion. My soul eagerly freed itself, moving to go find wherever his had wandered off to.

He leaned back down, placing his forehead on mine. His entire body trembled, and I could literally hear his bones rattling above me. He squeezed his eyes shut momentarily before opening them again.

“i'm worried, rose.”

I felt my heart tug at his words. “I know, baby.”

“i know i'm rushing and i'm not very good at this,” he whispered. “but i need you right now, flower. we'll do this again, and we'll do it right.”

My heart thumped against my chest, despite the moment we were having. In answer, I kissed him, leaning off the bed to capture his teeth with my lips. Slowly, so slowly, he sheathed himself inside of me. Both us shared a long groan, the sounds captured by each other.

I could feel his fists tighten in the sheets by my head as he moved away, his pace slowly picking up speed. By the time he had found his rhythm, we were bouncing together. I could feel the coil try to spring free but whenever I was close, he would slow down just enough. This motherfucker was cheeky, and he knew what he was doing when he did this.

I could see the colorful beads of sweat form on his brow plates and around his skull as he and I moved together. My legs were thrown over his hips bones, settling on the crests. My back was arched against him, and any time he moved down to give me a kiss, I could feel my sensitive buds chafing against his ribcage.

“Ink, please,” I panted. “I...”

“cum for me, flower,” he suddenly demanded. “sing for me.”

I did just that, letting the coil spring free. He came with me. And, just like that, that blinding white light lit the room around us. I felt every part of me come together, like I had been working on an extremely hard puzzle for the last few months. All the worries and aggravation seemed to melt away in that very moment.

I was finally complete.

With all my skeleboys.

We stayed like that for a while before Ink's cock disappeared, leaving me empty and dripping with his seed. I knew from experience it would just as colorful as the rest of him. These boys usually stuck to their colors in everything apparently.

He moved off of me, landing beside me and covering the both of us with his blanket. His eye lights looked up and widened as he watched the glow of our souls come back to us.

“flower...look.”

I did, my eyes half lidded as I looked over. Then I shot up, gasping in wonder. As our souls traveled to the person they respectively belonged to, I saw Ink's soul had finally become whole. It wasn't just a broken piece that was shaped like the little spot I had on mine. And it wasn't just a white static that reminded me of Error. While there were faint colors surrounding it, the original piece was dancing with a vibrancy it hadn't had before.

His soul was complete. All he had to do was...well, me. To put it crudely, anyway.

Our souls entered our bodies. We looked at each other before big smiles came over our faces. Without another word, I curled up into him, laying my head on his chest. The smell of mint overpowered everything, and as he kissed the top of my head, I closed my eyes.

“sleep now, flower. i'll be here.”

“Promise?” I heard myself whisper.

“promise.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Basically, Ink only has a small piece of a soul, because he doesn't have one. He shares this concern with her. After the get done with the no pants dance, his soul is complete and looks like any other monster soul minus the faint swirls of color.
> 
> Enjoy!


	36. Talks And Decisions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sans and I have a serious discussion.  
> Then the rest of the boys join in.  
> Then Ink and I confront Error.

When I awoke, Ink was still there, just like he had promised. He was still beside me, but he was sitting up and doodling in that ever present sketchbook. His colorful tongue was poking out, but his eye lights were their usual golden star and teal oval. His hand moved smoothly over the paper, his eye lights moving with it as he traced over the design he was drawing.

The blanket was still pulled up around him. But it was tucked under me so this way I was still kept warm while he used his knees as kind of like an easel.

“Ink?”

My voice croaked out and he looked over at me, pausing in his drawing. He gave me a soft smile and leaned down, pecking my forehead in a gentle kiss. I smiled up at him and sighed, moving to sit up.

“Sans came by earlier looking for you,” Ink mused, putting his sketchbook away before I could peek at what he was drawing. “Told him I'd send you his way when you woke up.”

I smiled up at him. “Alright. I gotta get cleaned up first,” I muttered.

I left the bed and got dressed. After giving Ink a kiss goodbye, I hurried to my room and grabbed new clothes, heading for the shower. Once I got that done and over with, I left to go find Sans. He had been in the basement when I went with Ink, but from the sounds of it, they traded off sometime while I was asleep.

I went downstairs. G and Stretch were lazily leaning back on one of the couches, talking lowly with each other. Red was nowhere to be seen, which meant he must have been the one downstairs. Poor guy. He and the others were really beginning to get frustrated with whatever they were working on. Even G was beginning to sass back about going down.

Said skeleton looked over at me, smiling. “hey, angel.”

I waved at them somewhat coyly. “Hey guys. You know where Sans is? He said he wanted to talk about something important.”

A look passed over both of their faces. It was so fleeting that I had not been looking at them, I wouldn't have caught it. But the looks were so fleeting, I couldn't gauge what they were. I brushed it off, heading in the direction that Stretch pointed to.

I went into the dining room to see Sans standing in front of the giant windows, looking out with his hands tucked into his pockets. I stood there quietly, studying him. Watching him watch the snow brought back that horrible nightmare. Seeing him cry and scream at the sky, begging me to come back to him. Even though I had been right there...

I shook it off. I wasn't going to relive that. Though I'd rather have fought with Error than deal with that.

I walked over to him, standing beside him. He didn't move or even really acknowledge me other than glancing my way for a second before looking at the snow again. I watched the snowflakes fall from the darkened sky, our shadows cast onto the untouched white powder from the lights behind us. I shoved my hands into my own hoodie pockets.

He sighed finally and turned to face me, motioning for me to sit at the table. I did so, and he sat beside me. He didn't talk for a minute, fiddling with the strings on his hoodie before he side, using one hand to scrub his hand over his face. He looked like he hadn't slept in days; probably due to the fact they've been taking shifts with the machine.

“so...ya know how i told you i didn't wanna talk about the machine down there?” he asked, lamely waving a hand toward the basement's general direction. At my nod, he continued. “well, there's a reason i was upset it failed. still am, if i'm honest.” He took in a deep breath. “i think it's time ya knew the truth.”

“What truth?” I asked.

“the fact is, my...well, red and i's father, is trapped in the void,” he said softly. “there was an accident, much like the one that happened with g's universe. only we didn't combine with him or whatever. he fell into the void, and has been there ever since.” He shifted his eye lights until he was looking right at me. “i've been trying to find a way to bring him back. and somehow it brought the others here. bringing them here shouldn't have happened. if anything, it's a lot like what error has been telling you.

“they're considered glitches while they're here.”

I winced, physically moving away from Sans as he said that. In my mind, I couldn't wrap myself around the idea. The fact that my wonderful skeletons were brought here by accident? There's just no way. They had to have been trying to find a way to me. They had to have known...

Oh, who was I kidding? This was just one slap in the face.

I scooted my chair back away from him, trying to be subtle about it. But I should have known better. Hurt flashed across his face and through the completed bond. It was strong, and almost knocked me from the chair, but I held firm, keeping my eyes adverted. I should have known something was up when all of them were as on edge as they were.

“They're not glitches, Sans,” I whispered, my voice cracking.

He sighed and mumbled something I didn't catch. When he spoke again, his voice was gentle. “technically they're not glitches in their own timelines. but here, in ours, they are. if they hadn't been here, it would have just been us as soulmates. i wouldn't have to share you with other versions of myself.”

I could hear the jealously that laced his tone. And it struck me then and there he was right. If the others hadn't shown up here, coming through the machine somehow to get here, it would have just been and I. And I could understand why he was jealous of that. He not only had to share me, but he had the chance of it just being us.

Monsters never usually find their soulmates. They'd all had conversations with me about that. They usually only had their heat cycles, which they had yet to have around me. I knew it would be a doozy when they did, but I didn't want to think about that right now.

Monsters usually only married out of necessity because of the rarity of finding their mates. To them, it was a big deal. To humans, it wasn't as bad. We just did what we wanted to anyway. I had always thought there would be a soulmate for me. But a monster soulmate, not even thinking about five of them? It was a lot to take in. 

“I'm sorry,” I whispered, looking back over at him. “I should see where you're coming from, too, huh?”

He gave me a sad smile. “it's alright, princess. i know why you're upset, and i don't blame you.”

“So...your dad is in the Void?” I asked after a couple minutes of silence.

He nodded. “that's right. my version of gaster is stuck in the void. i know if i take him out of it, he'll turn to dust, but...he was a good guy, jewel.” He snorted. “he's the reason i use gaster blasters well at all. used to blow up houses with them when i was a kid.”

I chuckled. I turned behind me and watched as the others poked their heads in from around the corners. I rolled my eyes and motioned them in with my head. There was no point in having a private conversation with one of them when the others were eavesdropping. What a concept.

They all took their seats around me and I looked at each of them. I gave them a sad smile and looked back at Sans, who looked like he was trying to hide under the hood of his jacket. Good attempt, but not good enough against me.

“Look, I get why you're all upset with him. But it is what it is now, right? You're all here, and you're trying to do...what with the machine?”

“we're trying to switch the polarities,” G said, leaning forward. At my look of confusion, he chuckled. “basically what we're trying to do now is to not bring him back, but see if we can't help the other timelines get some relief.”

“remember how i told you there are other timelines that aren't as...good as this one?” Ink asked. At my nod, he continued, “so what we're trying to do now is see if we can't bring them here. maybe get rid of their version of chara or frisk along the way.”

“But Chara, or Frisk in the swap cases, is a glitch technically, right?” I asked, completely dumbfounded. “You can't just...get rid of them.”

Red yawned. “still figurin' that part out, sweetheart. we'll come up with somethin' before the machine is done.”

I laughed lightly, shaking my head. That would be a classic answer from them. I took Sans's hand in my own and squeezed it gently before sighing.

“Look, just stop hiding things from me,” I murmured to him. “I'm understanding; you all know this. Don't hide things from me. Please.”

They all nodded their heads while voicing their consents. I gave his hand one more squeeze before I let go of his hand and stood, heading back to the window. I looked out at the falling snow before turning back to them.

“We need to figure out what to do with Error, too, as well as my dad,” I muttered. “He's been really quiet. Edge was the last thing he sent my way and now...I'm really nervous.”

“maybe pops can think of something,” Red said. “ya just gotta go to the void.”

I whipped around. None of them were joking. Their expressions were grim and not a single one was looking at me. They even look uncomfortable when I didn't say anything, just turned my body to face them entirely.

Go into the Void? Where things never made it out? Except for these guys, anyway. Yeah, that was a good idea.

Not.

“Go into the Void?” I deadpanned. “Y'all are kidding me, right?”

Ink looked up first, shaking his head. “going into the void to see what he wants would be a good idea. when i was taking you back from the diner, gaster had managed to get close enough to almost touch you. whatever he wants must be important. that book you read wasn't a joke, jewel.”

The book... “Wait, you mean the one that I was told to review?” I asked, my eyebrows shooting up. “That was made by the melted looking man in there?”

“so you saw him,” Stretch said.

“Yeah, I did.”

Sans nodded slowly. “we thought it would be good to see him. have you go see what he wants. maybe even red's version of him is in there somewhere. the void can cover more than one area at a time.” He jerked a thumb over to Ink. “that's how he gets around so much.”

“Will I be...able to come back?” I asked. “I mean...”

“as long as you don't stay in there too long,” G said, getting up from his seat. “time runs different there than it does here. so long as you don't spend too much time there, we'll be able to bring you back.”

“and as for error,” Ink interrupted, “i'll be going with you next time. i've been looking into it, and as long as i can get on the same wavelength as you while we're sleeping, i can enter your dreams. it shouldn't be too difficult.”

“This is too scientific for me,” I muttered. I held my head in my hands and sighed. “Okay, so Ink and I are gonna take care of Error. Who's taking me to the Void?”

“red and myself,” Sans confirmed. “stretch's father would technically be the river person, and g...well, he is part gaster.”

“Okay. Fine. I need to get some sleep,” I muttered. “Ink, you coming?”

Ink blinked. “we're doing this now?”

“Error won't stop until I'm bleeding out in my dreams and don't wake up from them,” I sighed, leaning against the window. “It's best we nip him in the bud now before my dad can strike.”

“you think your dad is cooking up something bad?” Stretch asked, leaning back in his seat.

“I do.” I didn't want to think it. But it was just the fact of the matter. My dad had literally gone insane after Sans, Red and Stretch came to get me that day in their living room. The things he hated most had taken his daughter away. They had been in his house.

It was only a matter of time before that last cord snapped, and he lost his goddamn marbles. I knew it was the truth. The man I had once loved tucking me into bed had now become my greatest enemy. And it was going to be a battle to the end.

I just hoped it didn't come to an actual end.

Ink got up as I went around and kissed the others goodnight. They were reluctant to let me go. There was something in their expressions that told me there was something else they wanted to tell me, but none of them spoke up. I'd deal with it later. Right now, I had an Error that needed to be debugged.

In my room, Ink pulled me close, wrapping his arms around me. I laid on his chest and listened to the thrum of magic from his now completed soul. It was definitely interesting how his was as colorful as it was. The others had white souls. But his had small and faint swirls of color. It was lovely to look at, and I would like to touch it one more time before I had to deal with my father.

“flower?”

Ink's sleepy voice carried over my thoughts and I looked up at him through half lidded eyes. I gave him a sleepy smile. His eye sockets were half closed and he was looking down at me. His eye lights were changing from his usual fun patterns to the white dots the others had. It was funny to watch as he tried to fight it off.

“i love you.”  
My heart swelled in my chest and I could feel my lips moving up and down, like I was trying to say something. But nothing would come out. I closed my mouth and took in a deep breath, closing my eyes and letting sleep creep closer.

“I love you, too, Ink.”

**

When I awoke, I was lying on a familiar looking coach in a familiar looking home. I sat up, looking around me. It was Sans and Papyrus's home in Snowdin. Ink, thankfully, was off to the side. He was sitting up looking at his paintbrush. When I moved, he looked over at me, his eye lights white dots in his skull. He didn't look happy, but he definitely seemed relaxed.

Then again, I should have known better. These guys could look relaxed, but I knew better than that. It reminded me of the first time when I met Sans. He had looked fine, leaning against the wall by those same stairs. In reality, his hands had been clenched in his pockets and there had been the thrum of magic in the air as though he had been waiting for me to strike.

I threw my legs over the side of the couch. Ink stood and came over to me, holding out his hand. I took it and he helped me up.

“let's go.”

We left the little house, heading out into the snow. Neither of us said anything as we looked around us. Ink kept his hands on his paintbrush, his eye lights darting around faster than my own could. I kept my mind focused on my own magic, just in case I needed it that fast.

We made it through the rest of Snowdin and Waterfall when we first heard Error. His broken laughter sounded around us, and my entire body just locked up as we entered the lab. Ink took my hand in his, a silent reminder I wasn't alone anymore.

“you're okay, flower,” he murmured by my ear.

“iI-is sh3, th0-ou9hh, I-inkk-k?” Error's voice sounded harsh, almost like a broken growl. I could hear a faint buzz, like white noise from a television when it landed on a channel that wouldn't play. He wasn't mad.

Error was fucking _pissed_.

“come on, error!” Ink called out, keeping his hand in mine. “leave her alone and let's go!”

Error appeared from nowhere, lashing out at Ink without preamble. I cried out as Ink tossed me to the side, whipping out his paintbrush and blocking the attack in one fluid movement. I stayed off to the side, leaning against the wall and watching it unfold before me.

Ink lashed out wish his paintbrush, one thick ink glob coming out and heading for Error. Error muttered a curse and jumped away from the ink, narrowly missing it. When it attached to a nearby pole, it changed into something like chains. I furrowed my brow. Was this how Ink's magic worked? He could think of something and it would happen like that?

Error landed on his own version of a Gaster Blaster, which of course, looked a lot like him. The bones were black, with the nasal cavity, eye sockets and the gaping maw were a deep red color. Its eye lights were yellow. It looked ahead as it opened its maw further and a ray of yellow light shot out toward my mate.

Ink didn't move, his eye sockets lowered in a glare. He raised his paintbrush at the last second, sending it down and enveloping himself in a black ball of ink. The ray of light moved around it. I screamed as a part of it came flying toward me. I ducked in time, listening to the metal wall above me sizzle.

Jesus Christ.

Ink came out of his ball and moved quickly, disappearing and reappearing until he was in close quarters with his rival. He struck out with his paintbrush, catching Error in the jaw and moving before the other could retaliate. When Ink reappeared, he whipped his paintbrush once more, the colorful ink catching Error right as he was about to land. The ink once more turned into chains, locking Error in place.

Ink stood over him and glared down at him. “what are you doing?”

Error was struggling, writhing on the floor of the lab to try and break free. He didn't answer his counterpart, just growled at him while he tried to struggle on the floor. I slowly stood, keeping my arms wrapped around me as I slowly went to where they were.

I narrowly missed the black bone that had been headed in my direction, being pulled by the telltale blue strings. I gasped as I jumped back. Ink caught it inches away from his face, not even looking at it. He still looked down at Error, while crushing the bone in his hand.

“l-let m3-3e 9o!” Error shouted. “n0w!”

“not until you shut up and tell me why you're trying to kill my mate,” Ink growled.

I had never really seen him like this. It reminded me of the time my dad had broken into the house. I had seen Ink fight then, and I had seen him look pissed. But something about the way he was now, his attention and anger focused on Error, it was absolutely terrifying.

And kinda hot.

But that isn't the point.

“b3-ecau-usee sh3'5 4 g0-odamn gl1-itch!” Error growled right back. “sh3-e doe5-sn't d3-eserve to b3-ee her3-e!”

“I'm literally right here, you bugged out freak,” I snapped.

His mismatched eye lights shot to me. His lip curled into a sneer. I didn't feel the strings around my ankle until they had tightened and lifted me into the air. My head smacked against the ground, and I heard Ink call out my name. Panic settled like a cold weight in my chest as I hung suspended in the air, my world upside down.

Ink had taken the end of his paintbrush and had jammed it against the side of Error's skull, but he wasn't fazed by it. He was laughing. It was so broken I thought maybe he would reboot if he continued laughing much longer. It was like a belly laugh from one of the guys, just more grated and broken. Glitched, even.

“yo-0u ca4-an't s4v3 h3-er,” Error ground out. “1if 1 d0n't g3-et he-er, 4anoth-her w1ll.”

Ink paused, lifting the brush a little. I stayed in the air, trying to keep my shirt from falling over my face as I looked at the two of them. Error seemed to watch Ink's movements closely, but he didn't make a move to get him while he was stunned. I knew Ink and Error had a special relationship, and it looked like they were talking with one another without even having to move their teeth.

I was finally lowered, slowly to the ground. Spots danced around my vision as Ink came over ot me, gathering me in his arms. He moved his scarf so it was covering a good portion of me as he looked back over to Error.

“i mean it, error. next time, i will dust you.”

The world faded again before I could grasp what was happening.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I seriously love Error, but with the way I have him talking, it's always a pain in the ass to write. But I still love my glitchy skeleboy so much.  
> Sorry about the delayed chapter. Everything is being a pain in the ass.


	37. Fathers

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We confront my own father on things.  
> Plus...there's a special surprise.  
> Even though it ends up hurting two of my skeleboys.

New Year's Eve was always a chaotic day in Ebott City. People were running around, getting the last of their errands done before night fell. Stores were packed and the lines were long. Red accompanied me this time around, sticking close to my side and mean mugging anyone who came within a hundred yards of me.

While I thought it was cute, it was also kind of annoying.

We ended up having to go to the big stores to get the last of what we needed for the night. Papyrus and Blueberry wanted to make a bunch of appetizers for everyone coming over. I wasn't exactly sure who all was coming over. Probably the usual group. But I didn't know for sure, so I still made sure to get enough for the rest of them just in case they showed up.

Red was acting grumpier than usual, keeping his hands tucked in his pockets. I usually would question him, but I knew this wouldn't be the right time. Plus, through the bond I could feel how bad his anxiety was getting from being around so many people and monsters.

Poor guy had social anxiety.

When we finally made it out of the store, he held up a finger before disappearing with the groceries and supplies. Within a few more seconds, he was back, empty handed.

“Where did you go?” I inquired.

“i dropped the stuff off to paps an' blue. edge is with em, showing em how t' do things properly,” he mumbled, coming over to me.

He wrapped his arms around my waist, clonking his forehead against mine. His warm breath fanned over my face. The smell of mustard and smoke filled my senses and I closed my eyes, sighing softly.

“Red...”

“i love you.”

The words were quiet. Any quieter and they would have been carried off into the wind. I slowly opened my eyes and looked up at his eye lights. A dusting of red magic coated his cheekbones. He was watching me intently, though, his eye lights flicking between my own eyes. I gave him a smile and wrapped my fingers into his hoodie.

“I love you, too, Red,” I murmured.

He moved, pressing his teeth to my lips in a soft kiss. I smiled into the kiss, keeping my hands wrapped in the fabric of his thick black hoodie. I could smell the earth on him, with a slight twang of vodka that surrounded him. My soul tugged against my chest and I pulled back, raising an eyebrow at him.

“Red, souls are not allowed out in public,” I reminded him gently.

He scowled, his own brow plates lowering. “I'm not doin' anythin', sweetheart,” he said.

I blinked at him slowly before looking around us. I didn't see anything completely out of the ordinary. People passed us by on the sidewalk, moving around us with smiles or frowns. One person even gagged. Ignoring them outright, I let my gaze sweep around us once more before my frown deepened.

“Strange,” I murmured. I looked back up at Red, smiling. “Oh well, let's go to the park. I heard there's something going on over there.”

He gave me his trademark grin, his golden tooth glinting in the sunlight. His hand wrapped around mine, tucking them into his hoodie pocket at we slowly made our way to the park. The same park where I had met Papyrus and Undyne. The same one where I had made the decision to go to the Underground to meet Papyrus's older brother. And now my life had spiraled into something I wasn't sure I could control anymore.

They were waiting to take me into the Void until after New Year's. One less stress to worry about the day before. Plus, both Sans and Red were very against the idea in the first place. Whenever it was brought up, they got extremely moody that not even I could deal with. I ended up leaving them alone, in those cases. They would have to deal with the fact Gaster wanted to talk to me about something.

Maybe he figured out a way to stop the reset that the book had mentioned. I remember glancing over it when I had read the book. But they wanted me to meet him for something. And he seemed to want to meet me, just to top it all off. But I was still wary myself about going into the Void.

Just gotta go about this patiently. That's what I kept telling myself. But in my heart, I knew one thing for certain.

When we made it to the park, there was a lot of commotion happening. I looked at Red, who looked back down at me and furrowed his brow bones. We made our way quickly up the path that led to the destroyed jungle gym and I paused, almost knocking Red over in the process. He opened his mouth to ask, but his eye lights fixated on where my gaze rested. His jaw snapped shut, his teeth making a loud clacking noise. But no one paid any mind.

They were all focused on my father, who had managed to cut off some of the thick vines and thorns that Flowey had placed around the rusted metal. He had a megaphone in one hand, and was thrusting his fist into the air. I noted that the main members of the AMM where on either side of him, sans my mother. She was nowhere to be seen. At least, not that I could see. My eyes roamed over the crowd of people in front of me, taking in the sheer number of people.

It made me physically nauseous. 

“sweetheart?”

My hand tightened in his, letting him know I heard him. I could feel my breakfast slowly making its way back up. I felt myself shaking, but it wasn't fear, not even the cold. I could deal with both of those. But I couldn't deal with the anger, the frustration, at seeing my father having a fucking mob in the middle of a park.

The same park that I used to hold so dear to my heart.

The same park that he used to take me to every Sunday.

Something inside of me snapped in that instant.

I wasn't listening to what he was saying, but judging by how the crowd was reacting, they were getting extremely riled up. There wasn't a cop around, at least not within my line of vision.

Red knew what I was going to do. I could tell by the look on his face and the way he cursed under his breath. He whipped out his phone and tapped on it a few times, bringing it to his skull.

“get to the park. right now,” he hissed into the phone. “there's a problem.”

No sooner had he hung up, my other mates were around me. They surrounded me, their hands on me. I didn't look at any of them, but I let go of Red's hand. They didn't have to say anything, but neither did I. Without thinking about it, I could feel the cool ice from my magic encasing my right hand.

Two seconds later, I was whipping my arm out, lashing out with a column of cold air and some snow. The crowd cried out, and my dad grunted, keeping his arms crossed in front of him. I lowered my hand and let the magic go, glaring and standing tall. There was a larger crowd now, surrounding us as my father looked up, locking eyes with me.

I didn't recognize the man in front of me. He had grown a beard, something he hated. He usually kept a stubble, but nothing like the beard he sported now. He looked completely unkempt, his hair was sticking out in many different directions. His pants looked greasy, worn through. His boots were untied and his coat was half open. He wasn't wearing gloves, or a hat or a scarf.

But his eyes were what got me. They were insane. There was a small twitch I caught under his left eye. They were wide and moving all over the place, but they came right back to me anytime me or my mates moved even a little. Those black eyes showed me a man that had finally snapped.

It had only been a matter of time.

“What are you doing?” I called out. “Riling up people about monsters isn't going to help your cause.”

There was that small twitch. “I don't need your opinion,” he snapped, shaking off the extra snow from my magic. “You're a fucking traitor to your own race.”

I took a step forward. “I am not! You're a goddamn menace to our race!” I yelled. “Look at you!” I swept my arm wide. “Look at what you're doing! This isn't okay, dad! This is a fucking riot!”

“You wanted a war, and you're going to get one!” he screamed at me. People parted as he jumped down. He came toward me, his arms out wide. “These people understand me, Jewel! They understand what these fucking cretins have taken from us!” He laughed, but it sounded more broken than I remembered. “They know I'm right!”

I grit my teeth. “You've lost your fucking mind, Randall. You've completely left fucking reality.” I took a step back into the comfort and safety of my soulmates.

He took this opportunity to raise the megaphone to his mouth, turning back to his supporters. “See what they've done? This is my daughter, my own flesh and blood! And she has completely turned against me, against her own loving father!”

“did you tell them how you held a fucking gun to her head?” Red called out, snarling. I kept a hand on his arm, but said nothing. “how you left a flower on our porch, one that would kill her?”

I looked over at him and frowned. Ink winked at me from the corner of my eye and I rolled my eyes. Should have figured he knew.

The crowd was eerily quiet. They were all looking at each other now, uncertainty written on their faces.

“or how about when you threw a small plate at her head?” Stretch commented into the quiet, smoke blowing from between his teeth. “how ya told her if she left with us, she wasn't allowed back. all 'cause she's our soulmate?”

Now the murmuring started. I could hear snippets of what people were saying, but still, I said nothing. I knew it would play out how it needed to. If it was one thing I knew, it was that my father was lost. And not just to himself, but to me, as well. I had lost my father, and whether I liked it or not, I was going to have to fight him.

Just not here. Not now. Not with all these innocent people and monsters around that could easily get hurt. While he may not care about life, I sure as hell did. And I wasn't going to let him ruin anyone else's life.

“Sorry, dad,” I murmured now. “I'm sorry you fell so far. They didn't do anything, and you still attacked them. You still attacked _me_.” I felt the tear on my cheek before I could stop it. “This is what you get.” I took two different hands, not caring who they belonged to. “I'm going home now, to celebrate my life with my mates.” I looked around me. “I suggest you all do the same. Leave this man alone, and let him fester in his own problems. He created them for himself. He can deal with them himself.”

Without further ado, we slipped into the Void, without hearing what anyone had to say. But, we didn't immediately exit. I looked around me and noticed that the boys were just as befuddled as I was.

“It took you long enough, didn't it?”

The voice was rough, and the words were jumbled. Almost like a foreign language, but I could still understand it. When I looked around, I noticed there wasn't a melted man, but a tall skeleton, one that sort of resembled G. I was reminded that G was technically part Gaster, as well as Sans.

He wore a what I could only guess was a white turtleneck sweater, much like the cream one G wore. He also wore a black jacket that seemed to blend in with the blackness around us. His cracks were in the same places that G's were. He even had the holes in his hands.

“You must be...”

“dad.”

Sans's voice cut over mine. I watched as he moved away from the group and walked closer to Gaster. The giant skeleton man didn't move, but he smiled down at Sans as he came closer. When Gaster placed a hand on Sans's head, I watched as his blue tears streamed down his face.

“Ugh. Could you not have done that right when I show up?”

Red's head snapped up in that instant. Another Gaster had shown up, but he was more rough While also wearing the black coat, he wore a red scarf around his neck, which was still in the Void. There was no wind to whip it around, which is something I was kind of expecting.

“dad.”

Red's version of Gaster looked down at him as he approached. And, in that moment, his facial expressions softened, and he placed a holed hand on Red's head, much like Sans Gaster did to him.

“son.”

The word was spoken simultaneously by both Gasters. I smiled softly and watched the both of them as they clung to their father's, crying softly. Ink looked lost while Stretch looked on in a different direction. G kept his hands in his pockets, looking away from everyone, but sticking close to me.

“Sorry about keeping you here,” Sans's Gaster said, stroking his son's skull. “We can sometimes keep a solid form for a little while. So we decided to try now, before you completely passed through.”

Ink nodded. “you wanted to talk to us about something? well, to jewel about something.”

Red's Gaster nodded. “We were hoping to do this away from you guys, but I see that isn't going to happen.” His eye lights cast downward toward Red, who was clinging to his father with tight fists.

I chuckled. “I envy them, really.”

Red's Gaster looked over at me now, watching me with his unwavering gaze. “You must be Jewel, their mate.”

I kind of shrunk away from his gaze, nodding. “That's right.”

“You need to know,” Sans's Gaster murmured, “that you will forget these guys.” He looked up at me. “All of them.”

I felt my heart plummet to my feet. I remember Sans telling me about his story, about how whenever Frisk reset, no one but him would remember anything that happened. And it was something that was a sore subject. But the thought that really hit me hard was the fact that I really could forget them.

All it would take it one small press of an invisible button.

“You said in the final page of the book...” I paused and swallowed. Both Gasters had their eye lights on me. “You said, in that final sentence, there would be at least one more reset. Do you know why?”

Red Gaster hummed. My eyes shot to him. “We're not entirely sure. But what we are certain of is that it will happen. We only know so much.”

Blue Gaster nodded his agreement. “Sad to say, we have no way of knowing why there will be a reset. But there will definitely be one.”

I looked down, staring into the black of the Void. They didn't know why, and neither did we. The only thing I knew at this moment was that things with my dad were about to come to a head, and it was going to be ugly. From the looks of it, he doesn't have very many people in his corner anymore.

He had completely lost his mind. He went from being the head of a huge movement, to the only one who seemed to give a rats ass. At least, here in Ebott City. I didn't know about anywhere else. He could followers from all over, but their stuck in their own homes and towns and cities.

“It was you that gave the tug on my soul,” I murmured. “But why? To get my attention?”

“For one thing,” Gaster murmured. “The Void seemed to have granted us some time to be able to talk to you. It's a strange place, the Void.”

“does that mean you'll be able to come home?” Sans's voice was filled with so much hope, it broke my heart.

No one said anything for a while, not wanting to burst his bubble. He'd been trying for years to get his father back, and now he was faced with the reality he wasn't going to be able to have that.

Beside me, a hole opened up, leading back into my room. Sans and Red both protested, saying they could figure out a way for their respective Gasters to come back. Not to melt as soon as they hit the outside world. Away from the Void.

Stretch took my hand and led me through. Ink and G followed close behind. I noticed that G paused to look back, studying both of the Gasters before Red and Sans were roughly shoved through with one final message.

“We love you both,” Blue Gaster said, stroking his son's skull once more.

“We're also so proud of you, boys,” Red Gaster added softly.

“Give both of your boy's our love and hugs,” Blue Gaster said before the hole closed.

All was silent until a painful cry ripped from Sans. He fell to his knees, his hands clutching his skull as he shook his head, fat blue tears rolling down his cheeks like waves. Red was just staring at the spot where the hole had been, shaking with his own red tears. 

I went over to them and stood between them, one hand on each. Their hands immediately found mine, clutching onto me like I was the only thing keeping them there. I could feel my heart burn, and my soul was crying out for them.

“Come on, guys,” I murmured. “Let's go help the boys get ready; everyone will be here soon.”

When they didn't move, the others took the initiative, leaving me with them both. I sat beside them, crossing my legs under me.

“I love you both,” I whispered.

“i love you, too, sweetheart.”

“i love you, princess.”

They spoke at the same time, in soft, pain filled voices. None of us moved for a while. It was, as they say, the calm before the storm.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry guys! It's been a hard year already and I've been keeping track of other things plus doing some family stuff. I adore you all and I hope you're all alright! 
> 
> Hope you enjoyed me tearing my heart out of my own chest!


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